BULLETIN OF 

ILLINOIS COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 

COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT 


State Geological Survey 

Department of Mining Engineering, University of Illinois 

U. S. Bureau of Mines 


BULLETIN 11 

Coal Resources 

OF 

District VII 

(Coal No. 6 West of Duquoin anticline) 


BY 

FRED H. KAY 

Field Work by K. D. White, Fred H. Kay, and others 

In cooperation with 
U. S. Geological Survey 


STATE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
URBANA 
1915 



Collected set 


*» 
















The Forty-seventh General Assembly of the State of Illinois, 
with a view of conserving the lives of the mine workers and the min¬ 
eral resources of the State, authorized an investigation of the coal 
resources and mining practices of Illinois by the Department of Min¬ 
ing Engineering of the University of Illinois and the State Geological 
Survey in cooperation with the United States Bureau of Mines. A 
cooperative agreement was approved by the Secretary of the Interior 
and by representatives of the State of Illinois. 

The direction of this investigation is vested in the Director of the 
United States Bureau of Mines, the Director of the State Geological 
Survey, and the Head of the Department of Mining Engineering, 
University of Illinois, who jointly determine the methods to be em,- 
ployed in the conduct of the work and exercise general editorial su¬ 
pervision over the publication of the results, but each party to the 
agreement directs the w r ork of its agents in carrying on the investiga¬ 
tion thus mutually agreed on. 

The reports of the investigation are issued in the form of bulle¬ 
tins, either by the State Geological Survey, the Department of Mining 
Engineering, University of Illinois, or the United States Bureau of 
Mines. For copies of the bulletins issued by the State and for inforp 
mation about the work, address Coal Mining Investigations, Uni¬ 
versity of Illinois, Urbana, Ill. For bulletins issued by the United 
States Bureau of Mines, address Pirector, United States Bureau of 
Mines, Washington, D. C. 




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ILLINOIS 

COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 

COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT 


State Geological Survey 

Department of Mining Engineering, University of Illinois 

U. S. Bureau of Mines 


BULLETIN 11 

Coal Resources 

OF 

District VII 

(Coal No. 6 West of Duquoin anticline) 



BY 

FRED H. KAY 

Field Work by K. D. White, Fred H. Kay, and others 
In cooperation with U. S. Geological Survey 


In cooperation with 
U. S. Geological Survey 


State Geological Survey 
University of Illinois 
Urbana 











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CONTENTS 

V 

_ 

PART 1—GEOLOGIC RELATIONS IN DISTRICT VII 

PAGE 


Introduction . 13 

Importance of the area. 13 

Acknowledgements . 14 

Topography and drainage. 15 

Use of drill records. 15 

Stratigraphy . 17 

Pennsylvanian series (“Coal Measures”). 17 

General description . 17 

Stratigraphic divisions . 18 

Pottsville formation . 18 

Carbondale formation. 19 

General description . 19 

Coal beds .*. 20 

Distribution . 23 

McLeansboro formation . 23 

General description . 23 

Distinctive horizons . 23 

General section . 23 

Limestone above coal No. 6. 24 

Coal No. 7. 24 

Pink, red, or variegated shales. 24 

Coal No. 8. 24 

Carlinville limestone . 25 

Shoal Creek limestone. 25 

New Haven limestone. 26 

Structure . 29 

Explanation of geologic structure. 29 

Definition . 29 

Method of determining structure. 29 

Structure contours. 30 

Accuracy of structure contours. 30 

Practical use of map. 32 

Structure of District VII. 33 

Relation to general structure of Illinois. 33 

Duquoin anticline . 33 

Relation between coal No. 6 and oil sands. 33 

Relation of oil and gas accumulation to geologic structure. 33 

Structural features. 35 

List of features. 35 

Ohlman anticline. 35 


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PAGE 

Hillsboro flat. 35 

Sorento dome . 36 

Ayers anticline . 36 

Carlinville dome .*. 36 

Staunton dome . 37 

Pocahontas anticline . 37 

Carlyle anticline . 37 

Irishtown anticline . 38 

Bartelso dome. 38 

Hoffman dome or anticline. 38 

Nashville anticline . 39 

Venedy dome . 39 

Darmstadt anticline. 39 

White Oak anticline. 39 

O’Fallon anticline . 40 

Chemical value of coal No. 6 in District VII. 40 

PART II—COUNTY REPORTS 

Bond county . 42 

Production and mines. 42 

Coal-bearing rocks. 42 

Geologic structure. 47 

Coal No. 6. 48 

Coals below No. 6. 50 

Clinton County. 50 

Production and mines. 50 

Coal-bearing rocks. 51 

Geologic structure. 57 

Coal No. 6. 59 

Distribution and depth. 59 

Thickness . 60 

Physical character. 61 

Roof and floor. 63 

Coals below No. 6. 64 

Christian County. 65 

Production and mines. 65 

Coal-bearing rocks.'. 67 

Geologic structure. 77 

Coal No. 6. 77 

Distribution and thickness.. 77 

Physical character. 79 

Roof and floor. 79 

Coals below No. 6. 80 

Coal No. 7. 83 

Fayette County. 83 

Production and mines. 83 

Coal-bearing rocks. 83 

Geologic structure.87 

Coal No. 6. 87 

Distribution and thickness . 87 


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PAGE 

Floor and roof. 88 

Coals below No. 6. 88 

Macoupin County. 89 

Production and mines. 89 

Coal-bearing rocks. 89 

Geologic structure. 94 

Coal No. 6. 95 

Distribution and thickness. 95 

Physical character . 96 

Roof . 98 

Floor . 101 

Coals below No. 6. 101 

Madison County. 101 

Production and mines. 101 

Coal-bearing rocks. 104 

Geologic structure. 109 

Coal No. 6. 109 

Distribution and depth. 109 

Thickness and character... 110 

Roof and floor. Ill 

Coals below No. 6. 112 

Marion County. 115 

Production and mines. 115 

Coal-bearing rocks. 115 

Geologic structure. 130 

Coal No. 6. 131 

Distribution and thickness. 131 

Physical character. 133 

Roof and floor. 136 

Irregularities . 136 

Other coals . 137 

Montgomery County. 138 

Production and mines. 138 

Coal-bearing rocks. 139 

Geologic structure. 146 

Coal No. 6. 147 

Distribution and thickness. 147 

Physical character. 150 

Roof and floor. 151 

Irregularities . 153 

Other coals. 153 

St. Clair County. 155 

Production and mines. 155 

Coal-bearing rocks. 159 

Geologic structure. 162 

Coal No. 6. 163 

Distribution and thickness. 163 

Physical character. 165 

Floor and roof.• 166 

Irregularities in roof and floor. 167 

Other coals . 168 


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PAGE 

Perry, Randolph, and Washington counties. 169 

Production and mines. 169 

Coal-hearing rocks. 173 

Geologic structure.•. 186 

Coal No. 6. 188 

Distribution and thickness. 188 

Physical character. 190 

Roof and floor. 194 

Other coals. 199 

Shelby and Moultrie counties. 204 

Production and mines. 204 

Coal-bearing rocks. 205 

Geologic structure. 211 

Coal No. 6. 212 

Distribution and thickness. 212 

Physical character. 213 

Roof and floor. 214 

Coal No. 5. 215 

Other coals. 215 

Sangamon county. 216 

Production and mines. 217 

Coal No. 6. 218 

Distribution and thickness. 218 

Physical character. 218 

Roof and floor. 220 

Other coals. 222 

Summary of coal resources in District VII. 223 


( 8 ) 





























ILLUSTRATIONS 


PLATE PAGE 

I. Map of southwestern Illinois with special reference to the depth, 

position, and distribution of coal No. 6.Pocket 

II. Section showing general characteristics of the coal-bearing forma¬ 
tions in District VII. 18 

III. Stereogram showing position of geological formations in Illinois... 32 

IV. Graphic average analyses of Illinois coals by beds. 40 

FIGURE 

1. Map showing area covered in the report. 12 

2. Well-sample sacks furnished by the State Geological Survey. 16 

3. Photograph of “blue band”, a characteristic feature of coal No. 6.... 20 

4. Section showing persistent nature of limestones in the McLeansboro 

formation . 27 

5. Surface of coal No. 6 as it would appear if all the overlying material 

were removed . 31 

6. Sketch of faults in mine No. 9, Southern Coal, Coke and Mining Co. 58 

7. Track profiles in mine No. 9, Southern Coal, Coke and Mining Co. 59 

8. Graphic sections of coal No. 6 in mines of Clinton County. 62 

9. Graphic sections of coal No. 6 in mines of Christian County. 80 

10. Graphic sections of drill holes in Christian County. 82 

11. Graphic sections of coal No. 6 in the mines of Macoupin County.... 96 

12. Photo showing “slip” in roof and coal, and the “fall” resulting there¬ 

from . 99 

13. Sketch showing probable relation of erosion to the absence of roof 

limestone and coal in parts of Macoupin County. 100 

14. View of Glen Carbon, a typical mining town in Madison County. 102 

15. Sketch showing relation of coal No. 6 to river alluvium and to under¬ 

lying beds in Madison County. 104 

16. Graphic sections of coal No. 6 in the mines of Madison County.... 110 

17. Photo showing black shale-limestone roof, Madison Coal Corpora¬ 

tion, mine No. 4. 113 

18. Photo showing nature of bedding in black shale. 114 

19. Sections showing position of coal No. 6 along a line from Central 

City to Salem, Marion County. 132 

20. Graphic sections of coal No. 6 in mines of Marion County. 134 

21. Sketch showing probable reason for oil seep in Central City mine.. 137 

22. Fault in Panama mine of the Shoal Creek Coal company. 147 

23. Graphic sections of coal No. 6 in mines of Montgomery County. 149 


( 9 ) 























FIGURE PAGE 

24. Roof conditions at Nokomis Coal Co. mine No. 1. 152 

25. Stripping mine, Fischer Fuel Company, Millstadt. 164 

26. Stripping mine, Millstadt, showing method of removing overburden.. 164 

27. Graphic sections of coal No. 6 in St. Clair County. 165 

28. Fold in limestone above fault, St. Louis and O’Fallon Coal Company 167 

29. Fracture filled with clav, Southern Coal, Coke and Mining Company, 

Shiloh . 168 

30. Sketch showing relation of “Coal Measures” to ancient erosion sur¬ 

face, St. Clair County. 169 

31. Section showing thickening of the shale interval above coal No. 6 

east of the Duquoin anticline. 177 

32. Section showing structure of the Duquoin anticline. 187 

33. Graphic sections of coal No. 6 in mines of Perry County. 191 

34. Graphic sections of coal No. 6 in mines of Randolph County. 192 

35. Graphic sections of coal No. 6 in mines of Washington County. 193 

36. Roof conditions in Centralia Coal Co., mine No. 5. 196 

37. Sketch of coal stringer, Horn mine, Duquoin. 197 

38. Coal stringer, Horn mine, Duquoin... 198 

39. Coal stringer, Horn mine, Duquoin. 198 

40. Coal stringer, Paradise mine, Duquoin. 199 

41. Small coal stringer, Paradise mine, Duquoin. 199 

42. Graphic section of coal No. 6 in Shelby County. 213 

43. Graphic sections of coal No. 6 in Moultrie County. 214 

44. Graphic sections of coal No. 6 in mines of Sangamon County. 219 

45. Roll, Madison Coal Corporation, mine No. 6, Divernon. 220 

46. Irregular contact between cap rock and shale, Black Diamond Coal 

Company, Auburn . 221 

47. Irregular contact between limestone, shale, and coal, Black Dia¬ 

mond Coal Company, Auburn. 222 


( 10 ) 
























TABLES 


PAGE 

1. Average analyses of Illinois coals by districts. 41 

2. List of shipping mines, Bond County, 1913. 42 

3. List of shipping mines, Clinton County, 1913. 51 

4. Mine measurements of the three benches composing coal No. 6 in 

Clinton County. 63 

5. List of shipping mines, Christian County, 1913. 66 

6. List of shipping mines, Macoupin County, 1913. 90 

7. List of shipping mines, Madison County, 1913. 103 

8. List of shipping mines, Marion County, 1913. 115 

9. List of shipping mines Montgomery County, 1913. 139 

10. List of shipping mines St. Clair County, 1913.156-158 

11. List of shipping mines, Perry County, 1913. 171 

12. List of shipping mines, Randolph County, 1913. 172 

13. List of shipping mines, Washington County, 1913. 173 

14. Thickness of coal No. 6 in Washington County. 190 

15. Position and thickness of coals below No. 6 in P'erry County. 203 

16. List of shipping mines in Shelby and Moultrie counties. 205 

17. List of shipping mines producing coal No. 6, Sangamon County, 1913 217 

18. Summary of coal resources (coal No. 6) in District VII. 224 


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Fig. 1,—Map showing area covered in the report 




































































































GOAL RESOURCES OE DISTRICT VII 

13y Fred H. Kay 


PART I—GEOLOGIC RELATIONS 
IN DISTRICT VII 

INTRODUCTION 
Importance of the Area 

This report covers 7000 square miles in southwestern Illinois, 
including all or parts of the following counties: Sangamon, Chris¬ 
tian, Montgomery, Macoupin, Bond, Madison, Shelby, Moultrie, Fay¬ 
ette, St. Clair, Clinton, Marion, Washington, Perry, and Randolph. 
(See figure 1). The area described contained originally 46,279,496,000 
tons of coal in bed No. 6. From 1881 to June 30, 1913, inclusive, 
approximately 347,106,000 tons of this coal were mined in this area. 
Since only 55 per cent of the coal is recovered in this district 1 about 
283,996,000 tons were left in the mines as pillars and will probably 
never be extracted. The total amount of coal mined and rendered 
unavailable is then 631,102,000 tons, leaving in the district 45,648,394,- 
000 tons of coal No. 6. At the present rate of consumption and with 
only a 55 per cent recovery, coal No. 6 alone in District VII cMild 
supply the entire demand for bituminous coal in the United States 
for almost 100 years. The rate of consumption is however increasing 
very rapidly. 

In view of the importance of the coal deposits, the State Geolog¬ 
ical Survey, in cooperation with the Department of Mining Engineer¬ 
ing of the University of Illinois and the U. S. Bureau of Mines, 
undertook in 1912 to prepare a series of bulletins dealing with the 
coal resources of the State. The present report for District YII treats 
that part of southwestern Illinois underlain by coal No. 6 in com- 
mercial thickness. This bed underlies practically the entire area and 
presents reasonably uniform conditions for study. The other dis¬ 
tricts examined by the Investigation are listed in a previous publica¬ 
tion. 2 


1 Anclros, S. O., Coal Mining Practice in District VII; Ill. Coop. Mining Invest., 
Bull. 4, vol. I, No. 1, May 1914, p. 17. 

2 Prelim. Bull. Illinois Coal Mining Investigations, p. 12, 1913. 


( 13 ) 





14 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


A C K N 0 W L EDG M ENTS 

A large amount of the material embodied in this report is derived 
from the notes of other workers, especially those of K. D. White, who 
rendered most valuable assistance during the field work of 1912, and 
later in the compilation of material in the office. Mr. White visited a 
large number of the mines selected for examination, and his carefully 
prepared notes have been of great value in the preparation of the re¬ 
port. The notes of J. A. Udden, G. H. Cady, F. F. Grout, W. F. 
Wheeler, Thos. Moses, and others have been used freely. 

Grateful acknowledgment is made for the use of Mr. Udden’s 
report on the Belleville-Breese area published in Bulletin 8 of the Geo¬ 
logical Survey in cooperation with the U. S. Geological Survey. The 
report on the “Carlyle Oil Field and Surrounding Territory” by E. W. 
Shaw, of the U. S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Illinois 
State Geological Survey has been of great service to the author and 
has been quoted in a number of places. 

Since the field work for the report was completed, Wallace Lee, 
of the U. S. Geological Survey, cooperating with the State Geological 
Survey, has made a detailed study of the Gillespie-Mt. Olive quad¬ 
rangles, and his report will be published as a folio of the geological 
atlas of the U. S. by the Federal Survey. Mr. Lee has kindly made 
useful suggestions regarding details in the region examined by him. 

Through the uniform kindness and generosity of a large number 
of operators, investors, and mining men, hundreds of drill records 
have been made available for study, and all of the mines have been 
opened without reserve to representatives of the Investigation. A. J. 
Moorshead, General Manager, and G. E. Lyman, Mining Engineer, 
Madison Coal Corporation, have been most generous in furnishing in¬ 
formation regarding the district and in supplying many excellent under¬ 
ground photographs. The Fischer Fuel Company of St. Louis, through 
Mr. B. W. Hilgard, have kindly furnished photographs of their strip¬ 
ping mine at Millstadt. Special thanks for favors are due F. S. Pea¬ 
body, Peabody Coal Company, who has not only furnished a great 
deal of information but also kindly consented to read this report in 
manuscript form and offered many helpful suggestions. F. H. Brown, 
H. S. Hargrave, and A. W. Crawford, of Hillsboro, have given un¬ 
stinted assistance in many ways. Mr. Thomas Jeremiah furnished 
valuable information regarding the position of the coal outcrop in 
Perry and Randolph counties. 

Throughout the investigation and the preparation of the report the 
author has received the hearty cooperation and the helpful suggestions 
of F. W. DeWolf, Director of the Illinois Geological Survey, under 
whose general direction the work has been carried on. 


GEOLOGIC RELATIONS 


15 


Topography and Drainage 

1 he area is an undulating plain which slopes gently south and 
west except in the area s utheast of Springfield, which is drained by 
tributaries of Sangamon River. 

Except the territory drained by South Fork of Sangamon River, 
the entire area drains southwest. Macoupin and Shoal creeks, Kas- 
kaskia River, and the tributaries of Big Muddy constitute the prin¬ 
cipal streams traversing the district. The streams are sluggish 
throughout the greater part of their courses and do not cut deep val¬ 
leys, although near the Illinois and the Mississippi, which receive all 
the drainage of the area, some of the valleys show a relief of 200 feet. 
Along the divide which extends in a general north-south direction in 
the eastern part of the district, the surface reaches an elevation of 700 
feet above sea level, or 400 feet above the river at St. Louis. For 
some distance on both sides of the rivers the topography is rugged, and 
farm land is restricted to the flood plains and the divides between the 
streams. 

A network of railroad lines covers the southwestern part of Illi¬ 
nois and places it in close touch with Chicago, St. Louis, and the mar¬ 
kets of the northwest. 


Use of Drill Records 

For the most part the drill records studied in the preparation of 
the report are copies of the logs kept by the drillers, but frequently it 
has been possible to arrange for the saving of samples from each screw 
for identification by the Survey. Figure 2 is a photograph of the 
heavy paper sacks that are furnished by the Survey for the purpose. 
The driller catches some of the material brought up by the bailer after 
each screw and places it in a sack which is properly marked as to 
depth. After 40 or 50 sacks have been filled, they are forwarded to 
the Geological Survey, Urbana, by express collect. 

Some of the formations are identifiable only by fossils known to 
men of experience in this line of work. The identification is rendered 
more difficult in drillings, because only fragments of the rocks and 
fossils are available. It is highly desirable, therefore, that operators 
arrange for such a study as outlined in connection with any contem¬ 
plated drilling operations. Diamond-drill cores are the best means of 
studying the formations in a drift-covered area like Illinois, and 
through the kindness of the operators, it has been possible for the Sur¬ 
vey to secure such cores from a number of places for examination in 
the office. 


16 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


The fact that every inch of the beds is represented in a core ren¬ 
ders identifications and measurements far more satisfactory than in 
churn-drill cuttings. 



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Fig. 2.—Well-sample sacks furnished by the State Geological Survey. 




GEOLOGIC RELATIONS 


1 7 


STRATIGRAPHY 

Pennsylvanian Series (“Coal Measures”) 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION 

1 he main economic interest attached to the Pennsylvanian rocks 
in Illinois centers in the occurrence in these formations of all the work¬ 
able coal beds known in the State. The series is underlain by the Mis- 
sissippian strata, which are barren of coal, and is overlain only by the 
unconsolidated clays, sands, and gravels which constitute the glacial 
drift. Without this veneer, the coal-bearing beds would form the 
surface material for the entire area considered in this report with the 
exception of the western parts of Monroe and Randolph counties. 

The Pennsylvanian consists of a series of shales and sandstones, 
and minor amounts of limestone, clay, and coal. The series thickens 
gradually toward the southeast part of the State, where it attains a 
thickness of 2000 feet. 

The shales which compose the largest part of the section, range 
from the soft variety through all gradations of sandy shale to sand¬ 
stone on the one hand, and by way of the limy shales to limestones on 
the other. The soft material is known as “soapstone” by the miner; 
whereas the harder forms which have well-developed bedding planes 
are called “slate”, especially if the color is dark or black because of its 
high content of carbonaceous matter. Some of the shales contain a 
considerable amount of lime distributed irregularly, and this mixture is 
known to the driller as “lime shell”, or simply “shell”. In the black 
shales overlying the coals in many places the limy material was de¬ 
posited or later collected in irregular masses between layers of the 
shale. In some mines these masses protrude through the roof and are 
commonly known as “niggerheads”. 

The sandstones are prominent in the lower part of the “Coal 
Measures”. Near St. Louis these beds are less than 20 feet in thick¬ 
ness ; whereas to the east near Carlyle, they reach 160 feet. Southward 
they thicken to 300 feet at Denny in Perry County; and still further 
south in Johnson County the sandstones, including lenses of shale, 
attain an aggregate thickness of more than 700 feet. A few beds of 
sandstone occur in the upper part of the “Coal Measures”, but they 
are more or less lenticular and can not be traced over large areas. The 
section is variable, and a thick bed of sandstone recorded in one drill 
hole may be absent in another perhaps a mile distant. 

The limestones, although constituting but a small part of the 
“Coal Measures”, are nevertheless stratigraphically important, since 
many beds are more persistent than the coal beds themselves. Three 
horizons especially have been identified and traced over a large part 


18 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


of the area considered in this report. One of these is in most places 
found within 30 feet above coal No. 6 and, in many areas, is separated 
from the coal by only a few feet of shale. In other places it rests on 
the coal itself and is called by the miner “rock top.” In the interval 
from 200 to 325 feet above coal No. 6 two persistent limestones are 
present in many places. The lower is known as the Carlinville; and 
the upper, or Shoal Creek, about 100 feet higher is probably the bed 
that Udden has correlated with the Carlinville. Recent work by 
Wallace Lee of the U. S. Geological Survey seems to prove that the 
Carlinville and Shoal Creek limestones, heretofore regarded as the 
same bed, are really distinct horizons. In many logs it is impossible to 
determine which of these limestones is present, if only one of them is 
recorded by the driller. 

A fourth limestone lies about 200 to 250 feet above the Carlinville 
and is found in the eastern part of District VII. It probably is iden¬ 
tical with the limestone at New Haven, Gallatin County, doubtfully 
correlated with the Carthage limestone of old Kentucky reports. 

Fire clays are normally associated with the coal beds, and in a 
carefully kept log may serve to identify the horizon of a coal, although 
the bed itself has been removed by erosion. These underclays in con¬ 
nection with the limestones mentioned above afford good key horizons 
for the correlation of the coals. 

STRATIGRAPHIC DIVISIONS 

For convenience of study, the coal-bearing beds of Illinois have 
been separated by geologists into the following divisions which are 
numbered in the order of age and deposition: 

3. McLeansboro 
2. Carbondale 
1. Pottsville 


POTTSVILLE FORMATION 

The Pottsville formation is a series of sandstones, shales, and thin 
coals, comprising the base of the “Coal Measures”. The name is 
applied to the beds below coal No. 2 and above the Mississippian sedi¬ 
ments. The Pottsville beds were deposited upon an old land surface 
which had been exposed to erosion, and are consequently variable in 
thickness and in composition. 

Sandstone is the predominating constituent of this formation and 
ranges from fine-grained material to typical conglomerate. Its com¬ 
position is so irregular, however, that no definite character can be 
assigned to it. The study of a large number of drill records shows 
that individual beds of sandstone or shale can be traced but a short 


DEVONIAN MISSISSIPPI PENNSYLVANIAN 


ILLINOIS COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 

COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT 


BULLETIN 11 PLATE II 


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GEOLOGIC RELATIONS 


19 


distance, that one grades into the other laterally, that in one place the 
entire formation is represented by sandstone, whereas in another the 
sandy beds are almost absent. The variable character is well illus¬ 
trated in the Carlinville oil field where 30 or 40 feet of porous sand¬ 
stone may be found in one well, but within a few hundred feet may 
be absent or may be so closely cemented that it cannot act as a reservoir 
for oil. 

A few thin coals lie within the Pottsville, but they have been 
explored only locally and are more or less lenticular; consequently 
their correlation presents great difficulties. T. E. Savage" and 
E. W. Shaw mention a persistent, 10-inch coal 40 to 70 feet below the 
Murphysboro (No. 2) coal. At Taylorville, Christian County, a coal 
2 feet 5 inches thick lies 32 feet below No. 2 and is probably to be 
correlated with a similar bed reported in holes near Springfield. At 
the latter place several logs show a thin coal 130 to 150 feet below 
No. 2. This probably corresponds to coal No. 1 as described by A. H. 
Worthen, a former state geologist of Illinois. 

The thickness of the Pottsville is variable. It averages 160 feet 
at Carlyle and attains a thickness of 250 feet in parts of Sangamon, 
Montgomery, Bond, and Fayette counties. It ranges from 20 feet in 
some places along the western part of St. Clair County to as much as 
500 feet in Jackson County, and 700 feet in southern Gallatin County, 
where it forms conspicuous bluffs along the Ohio and further west in 
the valley of Eagle Creek. 

In most drill records the base of the Pottsville can be placed at 
the first limestone after the drill has passed through all the main coal 
beds and has been working for some distance in a series composed 
mostly of sandstones and conglomerates. The top of the formation is 
difficult to identify where coal No. 2 is absent; throughout most of the 
district it averages 250 feet below coal No. 6. 

The general characteristics of the Pottsville may be seen in the 
general section (PI. II). 

David White 3 4 has studied the fossil plants found in the formation, 
and regards the Illinois beds as corresponding in age to the beds of the 
same name in Pennsylvania. 

CARBONDALE FORMATION 
GENERAL DESCRIPTION 

The Carbondale formation, which is typically exposed near Car- 
bondale, Jackson County, includes all the beds from the base of coal 
No. 2 to the top of coal No. 6. Shales are predominant in this for- 

3 Savage, T. E., and Shaw, E. W., U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas, Murphysboro- 
Herrin folio (No. 185), 1912. 

4 White, David, Paleontological work in Illinois in 1908; Ill. Geol. Survey, Bull. 14, 
p. 293, 1910. 



20 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


mation, and only irregular sandstones and minor amounts of limestone 
are present. The Carbondale includes all of the productive coal beds 
in Illinois, except the Rock Island (No. 1), Danville (No. 7), and 
three beds below No. 2 mined locally in Gallatin County. I his series 
of beds, ranging from 250 to about 300 feet in the district, has a more 
uniform thickness than the Pottsville. Its total thickness is practically 
the same at Springfield, at Carbondale, and in the southeastern part 
of the State, although the individual beds composing the formation are 
more or less lenticular. 



Fig. 3.—Photograph of “blue band,” a characteristic feature in the lower 
part of coal No. 6. 


COAL BEDS 

In the earlier geological reports, the Illinois coal beds were desig¬ 
nated by number beginning with the first one deposited. It was soon 
learned, however, that many of the coals are lenticular and could be 
traced but a short distance. Furthermore, numbers applied independ¬ 
ently in different counties did not always agree. Since that time, only 
the beds that are present over a large area, or possess characteristic 
features for correlation, are regarded in nomenclature. The United 
States Geological Survey, in order to avoid the confusion of more or 
less meaningless numbers, has adopted place names and now designates 
the coals by such terms as Belleville or Herrin for the thick “blue- 
band” bed (No. 6), and Springfield or Harrisburg for the bed (No. 5) 
mined in the vicinities of those cities. Other names include Rock 










GEOLOGIC RELATIONS 


21 


Island (No. 1) ; La Salle, Colchester, or Murphysboro coal (No. 2) ; 
Danville coal (No. 7) ; Grape Creek coal (No. 6?). 

The objection may be raised that in the commercial world, place 
names naturally come to carry a quality significance. Again, although 
the “third vein" at La Salle was probably deposited contemporaneously 
with coal No. 2 mined at Murphysboro, considerable confusion results 
in the designation of the bed by a single place name at so widely 
separated localities. It has been regarded advantageous by the State 
Geological Survey, to continue the use of numbers as synonymous 
with place names. The principal coal mined in the area of District 
VII will be called the Belleville coal or coal No. 6. It is locally 
called the “blue-band” coal on account of the band (fig. 3) which is 
commonly present not more than two feet above the bottom of the coal. 
The same bed is mined in Franklin and Williamson counties, but it 
was formerly designated as coal No. 7 in that region. 

Although the Carbondale formation covers a large part of the 
State, no single coal bed is coextensive with the formation. North¬ 
ward from an east-west line a few miles south of Springfield coal No. 6 
becomes too thin for commercial recovery. At this place coal No. 5 
develops to a thickness of 6 feet and is mined throughout the Spring- 
field,-Peoria district. 

Coal No. 2 is probably the next in importance, although it is not 
present over the entire district. It commonly lies about 250 feet below 
No. 6 and is separated into two benches by a layer of shale or sand¬ 
stone which varies in thickness from a fraction of an inch to 20 or 
30 feet. The beds between coals No. 2 and No. 6 are irregular. 
A few of these are shown in the record given below. 


Carbondale formation in the vicinity of Taylorville, Christian County 

Byrd and Taylor Hole No. 8. Location—SE.yf NE.yf sec. 35, T. 13N., R. 1W. 

(See Fig. 10) 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 






Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Cnnl . 



' 

3 

2 

3 

2 

“Blue band” . 

► No. 6 • 



1 

3 

3 

Coal . 


2 

3 

5 

6 

Fire clay . 

J 



1 

10 

7 

4 

Sbalp prav . 




7 

4 

14 

8 

Shale, black . 




2 

, . 

16 

8 

Shale, limy . 




5 

6 

22 

2 

Bone coal . 




. . 

3 

22 

5 

Shale, dark. 




. • 

3 

22 

8 

glia 1 a Hart' bln A ...... 




1 

4 

24 

0 

. 

T rmpctnnp . 

1 

8 

25 

8 

Limestone, sandy . 

4 

6 

30 

2 

























22 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Description of Strata 


Shale, gray. 

Limestone, shaly . 

Shale, sandy . 

Shale, blue, tough. 

Limestone . 

Shale, black . 

Coal . 

Clay . 

Limestone . 

Shale, soft . 

Shale, gray. 

Sandstone . 

Shale, sandy . 

Shale, blue . 

Coal . 

Shale, sandy . 

Shale, tough, blue . 

Shale, black . 

Coal . 

Clay . 

Shale, gray . 

Shale, dark. 

Coal . 

Shale, blue . 

Coal . 

Shale, gray . 

Sandstone . 

Shale, sandy . 

Shale, blue with brown bands 

Coal . 

Clay . 

Shale, gray 
Shale, sandy 
Sandstone .. 

Shale . 

Coal . 

Shale . 

Bone coal .. 

Coal . 

Shale, blue . 

Coal . 

Shale, dark. 

Shale, sandy 

Coal . 

Shale, sandy 
Sandstone .. 

Coal . 


No. 2? 


No. 2? 


Thickness Depth 


Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

3 

# . 

33 

2 

8 

6 

41 

8 

15 

. , 

56 

8 

27 

, . 

83 

8 

3 

. , 

86 

8 

6 

8 

93 

4 

# . 

6 

93 

10 

1 

# # 

94 

10 

. . 

6 

95 

4 

2 

2 

97 

6 

1 

, . 

98 

6 

1 

2 

99 

8 

18 

. , 

117 

8 

4 

, , 

121 

8 

2 

. . 

123 

8 

9 

. , 

132 

8 

25 


157 

8 

1 

6 

159 

2 

2 

2 

161 

4 

, , 

4 

161 

8 

6 

8 

168 

4 

2 

2 

170 

6 

. . 

1 

170 

7 

, . 

7 

171 

2 

2 

10 

174 

0 

5 

7 

179 

7 

4 

. . 

183 

7 

7 

• . 

190 

7 

16 

3 

206 

10 

1 

1 

207 

11 

8 

. . 

215 

11 

24 

. . 

239 

11 

4 

. . 

243 

11 

3 

5 

247 

4 

1 

3 

248 

7 

. . 

3 

248 

10 

1 

6 

250 

4 

. . 

3 

250 

7 

1 

2 

251 

9 

1 

10 

253 

7 

• • 

5 

254 

0 

3 

7 

257 

7 

14 

8 

272 

3 

3 

11 

276 

2 

3 

5 

279 

7 

8 

4 

287 

11 

3 

8 

291 

7 











































































GEOLOGIC RELATIONS 


DISTRIBUTION OF THE CARBONDALE 

The outcrop line of coal No. 6 as shown on the general map 
(PI. I) marks the upper boundary of the Carbondale. Part of the 
formation is exposed at the surface in valleys along the south and 
west sides of the district, but in most places it is covered by glacial 
drift. East and north of the coal outcrop the Carbondale dips deeper 
and deeper beneath the surface and is overlain not only by the drift, 
but by the McLeansboro formation as well. 

MCLEANSBORO FORMATION 
GENERAL DESCRIPTION 

The McLeansboro formation includes all of the “Coal Measures” 
rocks above coal No. 6. It takes its name from McLeansboro, Hamil¬ 
ton County, Illinois, where borings have penetrated it to a depth of 
one thousand feet. It underlies the entire region north and east of 
the outcrop line of coal No. 6 and in most places is covered by a 
variable thickness of glacial drift. 

The formation consists of shale and a minor amount of sandstone, 
limestone, and coal. Although two of the coals above No. 6 are 
persistent, neither has been found sufficiently thick to be of commercial 
value; and they are significant only as correlation horizons. In its 
barrenness of productive coals, and in general age, the McLeansboro 
is similar to the Conemaugh formation of Pennsylvania. 

DISTINCTIVE HORIZONS 

General section .—The well-marked stratigraphic units of the 
McLeansboro in this region may be enumerated as follows: 

7. New Haven limestone, 200 to 250 feet above Carlinville limestone. 

6. Shoal Creek limestone, about 100 feet above the Carlinville. 

5. Carlinville limestone, so called because of typical outcrops near town 
of this name in Macoupin County. Its position is from 200 feet to a 
little more than 300 feet above coal No. 6. 

4. Coal No. 8 ranging in thickness from 8 inches where present to 2 
feet and lying 150 to 180 feet above coal No. 6. 

3. A bed of pink, red, or variegated shale, variable in thickness, seldom 
exceeding 15 feet, averaging from 35 to 50 feet above coal No. 6. 

2. Coal No. 7, generally only a few inches thick, 25 to 40 feet above coal 
No. 6. 

1. A hard limestone, averaging 7 feet in thickness overlying or slightly 
above coal No. 6. 

The beds mentioned above are reasonably persistent and serve as 
correlation horizons on which considerable dependence may be placed. 
The intervening beds vary so greatly in character that they are of little 
use in the determination of geologic age. 


24 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


1. Limestone above coal No. 6 .—In most of the area under 
consideration coal No. 6 has a limestone “cap rock". In some places 
this is underlain by black slate a few feet in thickness, and in others 
by a gray shale known as “white top." In restricted areas the lime¬ 
stone is absent, as in Tps. 9 and 10 N., R. 6 W., Macoupin County, 
where 30 to 40 feet of shale overlie the coal and render roof conditions 
unsatisfactory. The roof limestone varies considerably in thickness. 
It is generally not less than 2 feet thick, but a large number of records 
show the average to be between 5 and 10 feet. 

It is not to be understood that “rock top" is invariably good roof. 
Here and there it lacks uniform bedding and is so weakened by vertical 
fractures that great difficulty is experienced in supporting it. In one 
mine having a 7-foot limestone roof bad falls continue to be trouble¬ 
some despite all reasonable efforts for their prevention, and it is not 
uncommon to see “roof falls" as much as 50 feet long and 30 feet high. 
Ordinarily, however, the limestone possesses much greater strength 
than any of the other roof materials except a thick hard sandstone. 
The latter type is exceptional in District VII. 

2. Coal No. J .—A bed of coal, commonly not more than 3 or 4 
inches thick and locally absent, is in most places present 25 to 40 feet 
above coal No. 6. In the Springfield Quadrangle, 5 this coal averages 
only 2]/2 inches in thickness, and in places is represented only by a 
thin bed of black shale. 

In Montgomery, Christian, Bond, and St. Clair counties, most 
of the careful records show this coal bed. Its thickness is ordinarily 
less than 1 foot, but here and there it is reported as thick as 2 y 2 feet. 
Its roof is variable, commonly a dark shale overlain by a thin lime¬ 
stone, but no uniform succession prevails. 

3. Pink, red, or variegated shales .—Considering that the thou¬ 
sands of records used in this study of Illinois coals were made by many 
different drillers, it is remarkable that the presence of a thin bed of 
colored shales has been so regularly reported within 50 feet above 
coal No. 6. Such shales exist over most of the area in which coal 
No. 6 is present. As a rule they lie a short distance above the 
horizon of coal No. 7. They are important only because they are 
easily distinguished from the bluish-gray shales so common in the 
“Coal Measures" and are restricted to the horizon mentioned. They 
are not so thick nor so brilliantly colored as are the Chester red beds 
of the Mississippian, which outcrop in southwestern Illinois and 
underlie the south half of the State. 

4. Coal No. 8 .—In a majority of the records from this district, 
a thin coal is reported from 150 to 180 feet above No. 6. This bed 

“Shaw, E. W. and Savage, T. E., U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas, Tallula-Springfielcl 
folio (No. 188) p. 5, 1913. 



GEOLOGIC RELATIONS 


is not of commercial importance, but its wide distribution makes it of 
some use in correlation. It is associated with shales above and below 
in most places, although a few records indicate thin limestones under¬ 
lying the coal. Its position is approximately halfway between coal 
No. 6 and the Carlinville limestone. 

5. Carlinville limestone .—The Carlinville limestone is one of the 
most widely distributed beds in the “Coal Measures” of Illinois. It 
has been traced from north of Carlinville, Macoupin County, southeast 
to the Indiana line in Gallatin County. 

In the type localities this limestone is, according to Udden, 
“generally bluish gray, compact, close textured, and very hard, 
breaking into irregular, splintery pieces. On weathering it assumes 
a rusty color. It averages about seven feet in thickness. There are 
two features that are characteristic of this limestone, one a blotchy 
appearance and another its tendency to weather into seams two and 
one-half or three inches in thickness”. 0 

In most places the limestone is covered by glacial drift and is seen 
only along its western border. Even here it outcrops only where 
streams have removed the surface covering. It dips toward the east 
and can be traced by a study of drill records. 

In most of the district, the interval between this limestone and 
coal No. 6 averages from 275 to 325 feet. However, in the vicinity 
of Carlinville, Macoupin County, it decreases to 200 or 220 feet. At 
the Virden shaft, on the north side of the county, the interval measures 
249 feet. 

Some confusion has resulted in attempts to correlate the Carlin r 
ville limestone with certain beds in Kentucky and Indiana. Earlier 
reports have given the impression that the Carthage limestone of 
Kentucky, named by Owen, is equivalent to the Carlinville of Illinois, 
and the two terms have been used indiscriminately. Owen’s section, 
quoted in Bulletin 17 of the Kentucky Geological Survey, places the 
Carthage limestone 440 feet above coal No. 11 (No. 6 of Illinois). 
Recent studies in Illinois, and private correspondence with Mr. L. C. 
Glenn, formerly of the Kentucky Geological Survey, indicated that the 
Carlinville corresponds to a limestone 250 to 300 feet above coal 
No. 11 (Illinois No. 6) well exposed at Madisonville, Kentucky. 

6. Shoal Creek limestone .—In many of the drill records, three or 
four thin limestones are noted in the zone from 250 to 350 feet above 
coal No. 6 and in such a case, it is impossible to identify the Carlinville. 
Indeed, recent co-operative work by Wallace Lee, of the U. S. Geo¬ 
logical Survey, in the typical area of the exposed Carlinville limestone, 
leaves small room for doubt that the Shoal Creek limestone correlated 


°Udden, J. A., Shoal Creek Limestone: Ill. State Geol. Survey Bull. No. S, p. 119, 1908. 



26 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


by Uclclen with the Carlinville, is really a bed which lies about 100 feet 
above the latter. The following paragraphs, describing the Carlin¬ 
ville, Shoal Creek, and other limestones in the Gillespie and Mt. Olive 
quadrangles, were kindly furnished by Mr. Lee. A more detailed 
report will appear under his name in folios to be published by the 
State and Federal surveys in cooperation. 

Two continuous limestone beds, and a thinner somewhat discontinuous 
but persistent limestone between, outcrop in the Gillespie and Mt. Olive quad- * 
rangles. The lowest, the Carlinville limestone, lies from 200 to 225 feet above 
the Herrin coal, but this interval fluctuates irregularly, and at the eastern mar¬ 
gin of the field where the drill logs show the limestone to become thin and 
irregular the interval falls to 175 feet. The bed, where best developed, is 
six to seven feet thick and is tough, gray, dense, and homogeneous. At the 
head of Cahokia Creek, where all three limestones are exposed, the uppermost 
bed is about 75 feet above the Carlinville. Its base is from 275 to 325 feet 
above the Herrin coal, but toward the south the interval increases, being 350 
feet at the Future mine at Breese. The limestone is from 12 to 25 feet thick, 
but lacks the homogeneity of the Carlinville. It consists of a series of more 
or less argillaceous limestone layers, but in certain localities either the top, 
bottom or middle of the bed is replaced by limey shale. The weathered face 
presents a ragged appearance due to fine conchoidal jointing and is in sharp 
contrast to the cleanly weathered and regularly jointed faces of Carlinville 
outcrops. 

Examination of a series of drill holes extending south along Shoal Creek 
indicates that the upper limestone is probably to be correlated with the Shoal 
Creek limestone of the Breese area, though the distance above the Herrin coal 
is slightly greater. The Carlinville limestone, however, becomes thin and less 
regular to the south, but cannot be identified positively in the drill logs of the 
Breese area. The intermediate limestone, although exposed at a number of 
localities west of Gillespie, is not a continuous bed; it is usually only two to three 
feet thick. Its reported presence in drill logs in close association with a con¬ 
tinuous black shale or thin coal bed is frequent enough to suggest that it occu¬ 
pies a definite position in the section, and that it may prove to be better devel¬ 
oped in adjoining areas. Its position varies from 30 to 50 feet below the base 
of the Shoal Creek. 

On the outcrop, the beds may he distinguished by a difference in 
physical appearance, but in drill records it is impossible to differentiate 
them positively. In most places a thin coal lies only a short distance 
below the Shoal Creek bed. Where careful record has been kept, it is 
often possible to make correct correlations by noting the position of 
this coal. 

7. New Haven limestone .—About 200 to 250 feet above the Car¬ 
linville is a limestone which is encountered in nearly every drill 
hole that reaches coal No. 6 at a depth of 700 feet or more. The 
persistent nature of the bed is shown graphically in records from 
Moultrie, Shelby, Montgomery, and Fayette counties (fig. 4). Owing 


GEOLOGIC RELATIONS 


27 


to the eastward dip, the outcrop line of the limestone parallels that of 
the Carlinville at a distance of fifteen or twenty miles east of the 
latter. 

♦ 

l 



New Haven 


Shoal Creek 


700 


600 


- 500 


400 


- 300 


200 


100 


Coal No.7 
6 


Fig. 4.—Sections showing persistent nature of limestones in the McLeans- 
boro formation. 

1. Lovington, Moultrie County. 

2. Sec. 8, T. 10 N., R. 1 E., Shelby County. 

3. NW.% NW.^ sec. 8, T. 9 N, R. 1 W., Montgomery County. 

4. Sec. 29, T. 9 N., R. 1 E., Fayette County. 


In drill records this upper limestone appears to be a solid bed 
which in most of the logs is given a thickness of at least 25 feet. It 
may be traced on outcrop and in drill holes to New Flaven, Gallatin 
County, where it shows in typical exposure, NE. sec. 20, T. 7 S., 

R. 10 E. 

Older Kentucky reports 7 describe a limestone as lying 450 feet 
above a coal corresponding to No. 6, and to the limestone the name 


7 Geol. Survey Kentucky, vol. 3, 1857, p. 20. 









































































































































































































































































































28 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Carthage is given. In recent years, however, L. C. Glenn in private 
correspondence suggests that in the early reports, too great a thickness 
was assigned to the interval between the coal and the limestone at 
Uniontown, Ky., and that in reality the interval is only about 200 to 
275 feet. 

At present it seems best not to attempt correlation of the Illinois 
limestone with that of Kentucky; but in order to designate the bed 
450 to 500 feet above coal No. 6 in Illinois, it will be known in this 
report as the New Haven limestone. 

The following log is typical of the eastern part of District 7 : 


Drill record typical of eastern part of District VII 
Operator—H. H. Brown. Hole—W. H. McNichols. 
Location—NW.*4 NW.N sec. 8, T. 9 N., R. 1 W. 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 


Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Surface . 

14 


14 


Sand . 

3 


17 


“Softpan” . 

13 


30 


Sand . 

8 


38 


“Softpan” . 

48 


86 


Wash . 

4 


90 


Limestone (New Haven) . 

13 


103 


Sand and shale . 

10 


113 


Shale, gray . 

63 

7 

176 

7 

Coal . 

. , 

4 

176 

11 

Clay . 

4 


180 

11 

Clay shale. 

12 


192 

11 

Shale, gray . 

40 

1 

233 


“Slate,” black . 

2 


235 


Coal . 

1 


236 


Clay . 

2 


238 


Clay, shale . 

20 


258 


Shale, brown . 

22 


280 


Sand rock. 

15 


295 


Shale, light. 

26 

8 

321 

8 

Limestone (Carlinville) . 

13 


334 

8 

Sand shale . 

35 

4 

370 


Sand shale, gray. 

7 


377 


Shale, dark . 

18 


395 


Slate, black . 

1 


396 


Shale, gray. 

5 


401 


Clav shale . 

24 


425 


Shale, brown . 

51 

3 

476 

3 

Shale, light . 

9 

3 

485 

6 

Coal (No. 8). 

1 

8 

487 

2 

Clay, light. 

2 

7 

489 

9 

Shale, blue . 

9 

3 

499 

. . 
























































GEOLOGIC RELATIONS 


29 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 


Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Shale, dark. 

85 

6 

584 

6 

Shale, blue . 

5 

6 

590 


Shale, light. 

2 


592 


Shale, blue . 

17 


609 


Shale, various colors . 

4 


613 


Shale, dark. 

3 


616 


Limestone . 

5 


621 


Shale, blue . 

1 


622 


Shale, dark. 

3 


625 


“Slate,” black. 

4 


629 


Shale, dark . 

2 


631 


Coal (No. 7) . 

1 

10 

632 

10 

Shale, dark. 

3 

2 

636 

# . 

Lime shale . 

6 

6 

642 

6 

Limestone . 

5 

6 

648 

# # 

Lime shale . 

4 

5 

652 

5 

Limestone . 


6 

652 

11 

“Slate,” black . 

5 

7 

658 

6 

Coal (No. 6). 

Fire clay 

7 

6 

666 



STRUCTURE 

Explanation of Geologic Structure 
definition 

The term geologic structure is used to denote the attitude or 
“lay” of rock beds. It is common belief that in Illinois all of the 
formations are horizontal. This belief is due to the gentleness of 
dips over most of the State, and also to the surficial drift cover, which 
obscures the underlying formations. It is only upon studying large 
areas in detail that the real structure may be determined. 

METHOD OF DETERMINING STRUCTURE 

The large map (PI. I) was prepared for the purpose of showing 
the position of the beds underlying the district. In favorable regions 
a map would be prepared from data collected at the outcrops of the 
different formations, but as has been mentioned, over most of the 
region all the beds are covered by unconsolidated sands, clays, and 
gravels, known as glacial drift. In such an area, it is necessary to 
collect and study all available data from drill records. On Plate I 
drill holes, the logs of which are filed in the office of the State Geologi¬ 
cal Survey, are indicated by appropriate symbols. These records have 
been obtained from many sources. For the most part they represent 
test holes for coal and petroleum. Almost without exception the opera- 






































30 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


tors have furnished their logs for purposes of study. The Survey is 
requested to hold a large number of records confidential, and for this 
reason the thickness of the coals is not shown on the map. All of 
the information has been available for study in the office, and it is 
believed that the correlations from one hole to another and from one 
county to another are correct. 

STRUCTURE CONTOURS 

Prominent, irregularly curved, red lines bearing conspicuous 
numbers ranging from 450 to -400 extend in a general north-south 
direction across the map. These contour lines show the position of 
coal No. 6 above sea level. Since in this area the beds above and 
below No. 6 are essentially parallel to it, the general geologic 
structure is indicated by the lines representing the top of this coal bed. 
Coal No. 6 was selected for contouring because of the ease of its 
identification over most of the area. 

Figure 5 has been prepared to illustrate in a concrete manner, th< 
significance of contour lines. It is merely a reduced copy of Plate I 
with shading to accentuate the folds indicated by the contours. A 
clear understanding of figure 5 will enable the reader to use the large 
map intelligently. 

The reader is requested to imagine all the rocks removed to the 
top of coal No. 6. In other words, suppose this coal bed to be the 
surface of the ground. Again, imagine the area to be flooded by an 
arm of the ocean, the water standing at present sea level. The shore line 
would be represented by the contour marked 0 on the map. If the 
level of the water were raised by 50-foot intervals, the successive 
shore lines would be indicated by the corresponding contours. The 
upward folds, or anticlines, would extend out into the sea as long arms 
of land; whereas the downward folds or synclines would be covered 
by bays and lagoons. In places, as at Centralia, Marion County, and 
others which are evident, isolated portions of the surface would rise 
above the level of the sea as islands. 

On Plate I the contour interval is 50 feet. The elevation of the 
coal above sea level was determined in each case by subtracting from 
the surface elevation, the figure representing the depth to the top of 
coal No. 6 as given in the drill record or shaft record. 

ACCURACY OF STRUCTURE CONTOURS 

The accuracy of structure contours depends directly on (1) the 
number and distribution of the drill holes whose records are used, 
and (2) the correctness of the surface elevations. 


GEOLOGIC RELATIONS 


31 



Fig. 5.—Surface of coal No. 6 as it would appear if all the overlying ma¬ 
terial were removed. The diagram shows the significance of the structural 
contour line. (Shading by Geo. H. Renshawe.) 

(1) In a region where the drill holes are numerous and evenly 
distributed, the position of the contours is closely determined. It is 
also possible to use a small contour interval and thereby introduce great 
detail. The data available for District VII would not permit the use 
of an interval less than 50 feet. In areas furnishing meagre infor¬ 
mation, doubt is expressed by the use of broken contours. 

(2) Surface elevations have been determined by various meth¬ 
ods. In the East St. Louis, Belleville, Breese, Carlyle, Okawville, 
and New Athens quadrangles, most of the elevations were determined 
with a hand level by E. W. Shaw of the U. S. Geological Survey and 
J. A. Udden of the Illinois Geological Survey. 






























32 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


In the collection of drill records an attempt is always made to 
secure the correct elevation of the top of the holes. This is usually 
done by reference to an established bench mark or to a railroad 
elevation which has been adjusted to sea level as a datum plane. A 
few operators have been able to furnish accurate levels to all of the 
holes drilled under their direction. For scattered wells, reference 
has been made to the Rolfe topographic map of Illinois made in 
1892-3. These elevations have been adjusted where necessary. The 
writer is*indebted to Messrs. Fobs and Gardner of Tulsa, Okla., 
for instrumental levels in parts of Montgomery and Bond counties. 
During the summer of 1913 stadia levels were run by J. E. McDonald 
of the Cooperative Mining Investigation to holes in Christian, Mont¬ 
gomery, Bond, Fayette, Clinton, and Jefferson counties, for which 
elevations were uncertain. 

PRACTICAL USE OF MAP 

The general base map has been compiled from the best available 
data. Each smallest square represents a section of approximately 
640 acres. On this base is shown the areal distribution of coal No. 6, 
its approximate depth at any given point, and its position with refer¬ 
ence to sea level. The locations of drill holes or outcrops from which 
the data have been secured are also indicated. For points located 
between contour lines, intermediate elevations may be assigned to the 
top of coal No. 6, for example: the elevation of the coal at a point 
halfway between the 250-foot and the 300-foot contours, would be 
275 feet. Figures obtained in this way are approximately correct and 
are sufficient for all practical purposes. 

Certain black figures on the map show surface elevations. In order 
to determine the depth to coal No. 6, it is necessary only to add to, or 
substract from, the surface elevation the figure representing the ele¬ 
vation of the coal (obtained from the nearest contour line). For 
example: Beckemeyer, Clinton County, is about halfway between 
contours 0 and 50; the top of coal No. 6 is therefore 25 feet above sea 
level. The surface elevation at Beckemeyer is 452, and by subtracting 
as indicated above, the depth to coal is found to he approximately 
427 feet. Where the coal is below sea level, the altitude must be 
added to the surface elevation to secure the depth to coal. 

The absence of contours on the east part of the map does not signify 
the absence of coal, but merely the lack of sufficient information 
regarding it. Few holes have been drilled in the deeper part of the 
basin, because in this territory drilling and mining will be more costly 
and will be undertaken only when the shallower coal is no longer 
available. 


ILLINOIS COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 

COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT 


BULLETIN 11 PLATE III 



STEREOGRAM 

OF 

ILLINOIS 

SHOWING 

POSITION AND ARRANGEMENT 

OF THE 

GEOLOGICAL FORMATIONS. 

BY 

Fred H. Kay 
1913 

Scale 

0 10 20 
Zero on the vertical scale placed at sea level. 



























































































































































32 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


In the collection of drill records an attempt is always made to 
secure the correct elevation of the top of the holes. This is usually 

i jl <• - - - - 


and will be undertaken only when the shallower coal is no longer 
available. 


Structure of District VII 


RELATION TO GENERAL STRUCTURE OF ILLINOIS 

J lie “Coal Measures" of Illinois occupy a spoon-shaped basin, its 
deepest part being in Hamilton, Wayne, and White counties. The 
long axis of the “spoon" passes near Olney in Richland County and 
Lovington in Moultrie County. The position of the basin may be 
seen in Plate III. The district under consideration forms the south¬ 
western part of the “spoon", and the general dip is east or north 
towards the main axis of the basin. The dip is not regular but varies 
in direction and degree as shown in Plate III. Coal No. 6, the main 
bed in the region, outcrops in the Mississippi River bluffs at an eleva¬ 
tion of about 470 feet above sea level. An average eastward dip of 
about 14 feet per mile carries it 300 feet below sea level 5 miles east 
of Centralia, Marion County. 

DUOUOIN ANTICLINE 

The main modification of the structure is the Duquoin anticline 
named from the town in Perry Countv near which the fold is well 
developed. West of town the beds lie almost flat with slight dip 
north and northwest; whereas for some distance east of town, the 
eastward dip is 300 feet per mile. Properly speaking, this one-sided 
fold is a monocline. The top or axis extends N. 10° E. through 
Duquoin to Sandoval, Marion County, north of which place it appears 
to lose its identity. 

RELATION BETWEEN COAL NO. 6 AND OIL SANDS 

A detailed explanation of oil and gas accumulation would be out 
of place in this report, but it is regarded advisable to mention the use 
of the map in determining the geological structure of beds other than 
the coals. In a general way the successive beds were deposited par¬ 
allel to one another. This parallelism is not. absolute, but for prac¬ 
tical purposes in Illinois it may be assumed. After deposition, 
pressure was exerted on the strata in certain horizontal directions and 
all of the beds were affected similarly. If the position of one bed 
or formation is shown, those above and below may be regarded as 
having parallel structure. Since the structure of coal No. 6 as shown 
on the map represents almost equally well the structure of any oil or 
gas horizons, the map may be of use in selecting locations for drilling 
where the conditions are favorable. 

RELATION OF OIL AND GAS ACCUMULATION TO GEOLOGIC STRUCTURE 

In Illinois the accumulation of oil and gas appears to be controlled 
by the anticlines or arches in the beds. For the most part, the rocks 
2-R-n 


34 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


are saturated with salt water which may be original water from the 
sea in which the beds were deposited, or it may have been fresh water 
that has dissolved mineral salts while percolating through the under¬ 
ground rocks. It is supposed that originally the particles of oil resulted 
from decomposition of vegetable or animal matter, or both, which lay 
buried at the bottom of a sea under a variable amount of sands and 
clays that now cover the oil-bearing beds. 

In Illinois after the deposition of the oil-bearing rocks and those 
overlying them, and at a time probably corresponding to the uplift of 
the Ozark Mountains, adjustment to pressure resulted in more or less 
bending of the formations into anticlines and synclines. Gravity 
immediately had its effect in causing the general downward movement 
of the water and oil where no greater opposing forces operated. In 
some cases, the water and occluded oil must have moved up the dip in 
response to a higher head of water with which it was connected. 

Not only did the water move up or down according to conditions, 
but the oil tended to rise to the top of the water owing to its lower 
specific gravity. Wherever an upward fold existed in the beds, the 
oil and gas rose to the top of such a fold and was trapped or held there 
under pressure of the water below. Naturally the gas, being lighter 
than oil, rises above the latter and is found in the highest part of the 
fold. In prospecting for oil, therefore, it is best not to drill in the 
topmost part of a dome or anticline, but slightly down dip from the 
axis of the fold, since the top may contain only gas as stated above. 

Some of the folds in Illinois are arches whose axes extend many 
miles; others are shaped like an inverted saucer in which case they 
are called domes. Between the two forms all gradations exist such 
as elongated domes, anticlines whose axes are not horizontal, and 
terraces of different shapes. 

In a general way, the structural features described below indicate 
the areas in which conditions are favorable for oil and gas accumu¬ 
lation. A report * 8 by Raymond S. Blatchley has covered the relation¬ 
ship of the areas mentioned below to petroleum, in greater detail than 
is desirable in the present report. 

The areas regarded favorable for oil and gas in the southern part 
of the district have been described by R. S. Blatchley 9 and E. W. Shaw. 10 

s Blatchley, Raymond S., Oil resources of Bond, Macoupin, and Montgomery coun¬ 

ties: Ill. Geol. Survey, Bull. 28, 1914. 

9 Blatchley, Raymond S., Oil resources of Illinois: Ill. Geol. Survey, Bull. 16, 1910. 

J0 Shaw, E. W., Carlyle oil field and surrounding territory: Ill. Geol. Survey, Extract 
Bull. 20, 1912. 



GEOLOGIC RELATIONS 


.n 


STRUCTURAL FEATURES 
LIST OF FEATURES 

Of these structural features those designated by an asterisk are 
now described for the first time: 

1. Ohlman anticline* 

2. Hillsboro flat* 

3. Sorento dome* 

4. Ayers anticline* 

5. Carlinville dome 

6. Staunton dome* 

7. Pocahontas anticline* 

8. Carlyle anticline 

9. Irishtown anticline 

10. Bartelso dome 

11. Hoffman dome 

12. Nashville anticline 

13. Venedy dome 

14. Darmstadt anticline 

15. White Oak anticline 

16. O’Fallon anticline 

I. OHLMAN ANTICLINE 

The Ohlman anticline is a low arch whose axis extends in a north 
west-southeast direction through the northeastern part of T. 10 N., R. 
2 W. So far as known, the beds are highest near the NE. corner sec. 
3, T. 10 N., R. 2 W., where the coal lies 76 feet above sea level. From 
this point, the beds dip in all directions except northwest, in which 
direction there is probably a gradual rise although details are not 
known. At the crest of the anticline the coal is about 35 feet higher 
than in wells located in sec. 10, T. 10 N., R. 2 W., and sec. 26, T. 11 N., 
R. 2 W. Southeast from the crest, the coal drops to a few feet above 
sea level in sec. 12, T. 10 N., R. 2 W., and lies almost flat over several 
square miles south and southwest of Ohlman as shown by the position 
of the 0 contour. The anticline is therefore a small structural feature. 

2. HILLSBORO FLAT 

For several miles in all directions from Hillsboro the coal lies 
practically flat. On the map the area is shown between the 150 and 
200 contours. The Hillsboro flat covers parts of Tps. 7, 8, and 9 N., 
Rs. 3, 4, and 5 W. 

It extends southward from the Christian County line to Walsh- 
ville and from 4 miles east of Hillsboro to 2 miles east of Litchfield. 
The total area covered is about 200 square miles. Near the eastern 


36 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


side of the flat in the vicinity of Hillsboro a narrow elongate dome 
rises 15 to 20 feet above the surrounding structure, but not high 
enough to be shown by contours on the map. The axis of the nar¬ 
row fold extends through Hillsboro and to a point about 3 miles 
southwest of that city. The fold itself averages 1 mile in width. 
Over the entire Hillsboro flat, coal No. 6 lies almost flat at about 175 
feet above sea level. 

.tj 

3. SORENTO DOME 

Rising above the Hillsboro flat is the Sorento dome. The area is 
shown on the map within the oval-shaped contour marked 200 which 
includes parts of southwestern Montgomery and northwestern Bond 
counties. The highest part of the dome is in the southwestern por¬ 
tion of T. 7 N., R. 5 W., where the coal reaches an altitude of 250 
feet above sea level. This structural feature belongs to the type 
known as an elongated dome. Its long axis extends northeast-south¬ 
west, the length of the dome being almost three times its width. In 
the area surrounding the dome the elevation of coal No. 6 varies from 
150 to 200 feet above sea level. 

4 . AYERS ANTICLINE 

Eastward from the south end of the Sorento dome the beds are 
arched into an anticline named from the town of Ayers. The axis of 
the fold extends east across the north tier of townships in Bond 
County. The anticline is flanked on the south by a decided depres¬ 
sion near Smithboro and Greenville, where the coal lies from 60 to 
100 feet above sea level. Near Ayers the coal reaches an elevation of 
165 feet. From this district it dips northward, but data are rather 
meagre and the exact shape of the north side of the anticline is un¬ 
known. Toward the east it seems to lose its identity in Fayette 
County. 

5. CARLINVILLE DOME 

The Carlinville dome was described in Extracts from Bulletin 20. 
The large contour interval of the present map fails to show the real 
nature of the fold, which is a dome somewhat elongated in an east- 
west direction. The coal in the highest part of the fold lies 379 feet 
above sea level. The axis extends east and west in secs. 7 and 8, 
T. 9 N., R. 7 W., Macoupin County. Gas under a pressure of about 
135 pounds was found in the top of the dome. Three or four wells 
have furnished the gas supply for Carlinville for a number of years, 
but the pressure had fallen to 35 pounds in 1911, and there is little 
prospect of any marked increase. At present 10 wells are producing 
about 40 barrels of oil per day from the sides of the dome. The 


GEOLOGIC RELATIONS 


37 


sands lie in the base of the “Coal Measures" next overlying the St. 
Louis limestone or “Big Lime" of the driller, the Chester beds being 
absent. 

6 . STAUNTON DOME 

Recent levels for which the Survey is indebted to the Chicago 
and Northwestern R. R. indicate a doming of the beds three miles 
northwest of Staunton, Macoupin County. The highest part of the 
dome so far as known is in secs. 7 and 18, T. 7 N., R. 6 W., and secs. 
13, 14, and 15, T. 7 N„ R. 7 W. 


7. POCAHONTAS ANTICLINE 

The shape of the Pocahontas anticline is doubtful. Drill holes 
located in secs. 28 and 32, T. 5 N., R. 4 W., indicate that the coal is 
higher than it is south and north of this locality. In sec. 32, T. 5 N., 
R. 4 W. its elevation is 179 feet above sea level; whereas in sec. 15, 
three miles north, the top of the coal lies at 76, a condition which 
shows a dip of more than 30 feet per mile. To the south a slight de¬ 
pression exists in the coal in the vicinity of Pocahontas, as shown by 
a drill hole in sec. 8, T. 4 N., R. 4 W., in which the coal is 125 feet 
above the sea. This syncline appears to be a minor feature, however, 
since in the southeast part of the township the coal has the same ele¬ 
vation as in the Pocahontas anticline, in what appears to be the crest 
of the Irishtown arch, noted by E. W. Shaw. The Pocahontas anti¬ 
cline appears to lose its identity east of Shoal Creek. 

The descriptions of the structural features listed below are quot¬ 
ed from E. W. Shaw. 11 


8 . CARLYLE ANTICLINE 

The Carlyle anticline or elongated dome is a very low arch, the central 
line of which extends from the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad about midway 
between Carlyle and Beckemeyer a little east of north for three or four miles. 
The highest part is near the middle, where the rocks are only a little higher 
than they are to the north. They are, however, higher than the same beds to 
the east, south, or west and this dip of the rocks in three directions away 
from the center of the dome seems to be the most important fact in the devel¬ 
opment of an oil pool. 

At Carlyle and Beckemeyer and for some distance south and southwest 
the Herrin coal (No. 6) is 15 or 20 feet above the sea; to the east and south¬ 
east it dips to 50 or 60 feet below the sea level in the vicinity of Huey. North¬ 
west from Carlyle the road rises toward the center of the field where it is 
50 to 60 feet above the sea. West from Carlyle the coal dips gently again almost 
to sea level, but northwest it does not sink so low and it is not known to lie 
within 25 feet of sea level anywhere northwest of the pool. To the north and 


n Shaw, E. W., The Carlyle oil field and surrounding territory: Extracts from Bull. 20, 
Til. Geol. Survey, p. 20-25, 1912. 



38 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


northeast, however, it descends to an altitude of 15 to 20 feet above sea in a 
distance of 2 or 3 miles. 

It may seem remarkable but it is a fact that the shape of the Carlyle oil 
pool does not correspond to the shape of the anticline as it is developed in 
the coal-bearing rock. The place where the coal is highest is well to the north¬ 
west of the center of the pool; but when the variable thickness of the strata 
is remembered, the surprising fact is that the outline of the dome in the 
coal-bearing rocks is so near the outline of the pool. Layers of sandstone in 
particular vary greatly in thickness, and it is surprising that when many such 
layers are piled one on top of another the uppermost is so nearly parallel to the 
lowest. 


g. IRISHTOWN ANTICLINE OR STRUCTURAL TERRACE 

In the central part of Irishtown township, 5 to 7 miles north and 2 to 3 
miles east of Carlyle, the coal lies 50 to 70 feet above sea. The details of 
the structure in this vicinity are not known for there are few outcrops and 
artificial excavations which show recognizable strata, but the coal is certainly 
higher than it is midway between this district and the Carlyle anticline, and 
it is considerably higher than the same bed a few miles to the east. Apparently 
there is a low anticline here which plunges and fades out to the east. Two 
wells drilled here in the fall of 1911 obtained no showing of oil. The highest 
known point in the coal in Irishtown township is at the Ohio Oil Company’s 
well on the Michel farm near the middle of section 17, but as the sands and 
the coal are not absolutely parallel to the highest point in the sands may be 
a mile or two away from the middle of section 17. 

Recent drilling in sec. 26, T. 4 N., R. 4 W. shows coal No. 6 to 
be 163 feet above sea level and it is believed that this area is the west¬ 
ward continuation of the Irishtown anticline as described by Mr. 
Shaw, although conclusive data are lacking. 

IO. BARTELSO DOME 

There is fairly good evidence of a low dome one to two and a half miles 
north and a little east of Bartelso. Five wells have been sunk in the vicinity of 
Bartelso and both the coal and the sands seem to be rising toward a point a 
short distance to the northeast of the town and indications of oil have been 
found. Four to seven miles north and northeast of Bartelso the strata are low 
and probably barren of oil; but between this place and the town there is possi¬ 
bility of a pool. 

II. HOFFMAN DOME OR ANTICLINE 

At Hoffman, about 11 miles east of Bartelso, the strata are high, the 
coal according to a diamond drill record being 37 feet above sea, whereas a 
very few miles to the northwest, north, and east, it is below sea level. It may 
dip to the south also, and if so, the structural feature is a dome; otherwise it 
is an anticline, which plunges to the northeast. In either case it is well worth a 
test for oil. 

The structure between Hoffman and Bartelso is not known. Most likely 
there is a shallow syncline, but there is a possibility of a small arch. 


GEOLOGIC RELATIONS 


39 


12. NASHVILLE ANTICLINE 

At Nashville the strata have a noticeable rise to the west, but a mile 
north of Addieville they seem to be 50 feet lower. From what is known of 
the lay of the rocks there appears to he a broad but fairly steep-sided anti¬ 
cline plunging slightly to the northeast but perhaps extending without a break 
northeast to the Hoffman dome. There is some indication that the anticline 
is double crested, one crest being southeast and one northwest of Nashville. 
1 o the southwest the anticline becomes less pronounced. At Oakdale it appears 
to be broad and low, though farther to the southwest toward the Sparta field 
it may become higher and steeper. It may be however that this uplift is not 
an anticline but a dome. If so, its position is 2 to 4 miles west of Nashville. 

13 . VENEDY DOME 

In a deep well near the old town of Venedy about 6 miles southwest of 
Okawville, the coal is reported to lie at a depth of 212 feet, or 250 feet above 
sea. This is higher than it lies in surrounding territory, but the details of this 
dome or anticline are not yet known. 

14 . DARMSTADT ANTICLINE 

The Darmstadt anticline has a northeast-southwest trend, and is somewhat 
irregular. It probably extends northeast to the Venedy uplift, beyond which 
it appears to be double crested ,one crest running nearly north to New Memphis, 
and the other northeast to Okawville. The anticline seems to be highest near 
Darmstadt, where the coal bed reaches an elevation of 298 feet above sea, 
wdiereas it is 50 to 75 feet lower to the w'est, north, and east. It may, or may 
not, be lower to the northeast, and there is a possibility that it is lower to the 
south and is a dome. It is at least a well-marked uplift, flanked on the north¬ 
west and southeast by synclines, and is one of the most worthy places in the 
region for a test well. 


15. WHITE OAK ANTICLINE 

A low anticline plunging gently to the northeast extends in a southwest- 
northeast direction through White Oak, where it is unsymmetrical, the south¬ 
east limb being rather steep and about 40 feet high, and the northwest being 
less than 10 feet high. It thus has somewhat the form of a terrace facing 
southeast, but the distinct slope to the northwest makes it an anticline. To the 
southwest its limits are not known. It may extend as far as Baldwin. To the 
northeast it appears to broaden and to extend nearly to Lively Grove. The 
highest known point is 6 or 7 miles east and 2 miles north of Marissa, where 
the coal is reported in a test hole to be 295 feet above sea. This is higher 
than the coal lies either to the northwest, northeast, or southeast. But, unfor¬ 
tunately, there is very little information on the position of the strata in this 
district, and hence the structure is somewhat doubtful. There may be a dome 
just northwest of the middle of Lively Grove township, and the anticline may 
be high or low% steep sided or gently sloping. But in any case, the anticline 
should be tested before adjacent territory. One test has already been sunk 
near White Oak and no oil was found. Another test on this anticline might 
be very well located 5 or 6 miles northeast of White Oak. 


40 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


l6. O’FALLON ANTICLINE 

The O’Fallon anticline was pointed out by R. S. Blatchley. 1 " 
This anticline extends from Belleville north to O’Fallon, and thence 
somewhat northeast, where it spreads out and loses its identity in this 
direction. 

CHEMICAL VALUE OF COAL NO. 6 IN DISTRICT NO. VII 

A detailed report on the chemical value of Illinois coals is being 
prepared by Prof. S. W. Parr for early publication as Bulletin 3 of 
this series, and in view of this fact, it is not regarded advisable to in¬ 
clude a chemical discussion in this paper. It is the intention, there¬ 
fore, to present only tabulated average analyses for the different 
coals of the State so that they may be easily compared. 

In Plate IV the same analyses are presented in graphic form. 


12 Rlatchley, R. S., Oil resources of Illinois: Bull. 16, Ill. Geol. Surv., pp. 42-177, 1910. 



ILLINOIS COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 

COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT 


District No. l 


BULL. NO. 11, PLATE IV 



District No. 2 


District No. 3. 


District No. 4. 


District No. 5 



District No. 0 


District No. 7 



District No. 8a 


District No. 8b. 



AVERAGE ANALYSIS 
Volatile Matter 38 83 

Fixed Carbon 
Moisture 
Sulphur 
Ash 
B.T.U 



Volatile Matter 

33.98 

Fixed Carbon 

51.02 

Moisture 

9.28 

Sulphur 

1.29 

Ash 

5.72 

B.T.U. 

12488 


AVERAGE ANALYSIS 


Volatile Matter 

38.16 

Fixed Carbon 

39.75 

Moisture 

13.46 

Sulphur 

3.59 

Ash 

8.63 

B.T.U 

11036 


Volatile Matter 

36.79 

Fixed Carbon 

37.59 

Moisture 

15.10 

Sulphur 

3.52 

Ash 

10.53 

B T U 

10514 


AVERAGE ANALYSIS 


Volatile Matter 

35.49 

Fixed Carbon 

48.72 

Moisture 

6.75 

Sulphur 

2.92 

Ash 

9.04 

B T U 

12276 



AVERAGE ANALYSIS 


Volatile Matter 

34.00 

Fixed Carbon 

48.08 

Moisture 

9.21 

Sulphur 

1.53 

Ash 

8.71 

BT U 

11825 


AVERAGE ANALYSIS 


Volatile Matter 

Fixed Carbon 

Moisture 

Sulphur 

Ash 

B.T U 


38.05 

39.06 

12.56 

4.01 

10.33 

10847 



AVERAGE 

ANALYSIS 

Volatile Matter 

35.88 

Fixed Carbon 

40.33 

Moisture 

14.45 

Sulphur 

2.55 

Ash 

9.34 

B.T.U. 

10919 


AVERAGE ANALYSIS 


Volatile Matter 

38.29 

Fixed Carbon 

38.75 

Moisture 

12.99 

Sulphur 

2.93 

Ash 

9.98 

B.T.U. 

11143 


io 

8 

O 


■t* 

8 




DISTRICTS 

1. La Salle or Lonewall. 

Coal No. 2 . 

2. Jackson County. 
Coal No. 2 . 

^' f^ock Island and 
Mercer Counties. 
Coal No. 1. 

4 ‘ Springfleld-Peorla. 

Coal No. 5. 

Saline County. 

Coal No. 5. 

6. Williamson and 
Franklin Counties. 
Coal No. © 

7 Southwestern 
Illinois. West of 
DuQuoin. Coal No. 6. 

8a. Danville. Coal No. © 
Grape Creek Bed 

8b. Danville. Cool No. 7 
Danville Bed 


LEGEND 

Volatile Matter 


Fixed Carbon. 


Moisture 


Sulphur 


Ash. 


The projections on the sides 
ol the analysis diagrams show 
comparative B.T.U., according 
to scale, measured from the cir¬ 
cumference of the circles. 



NOTE 

On the diagrams the 
sulphur content, usually 
considered as an addition 
to the proximate analysis 
is divided equally between 
fixed carbon and volatile 
matter and overlaps 
equal parts of both. 


Percentages refer to 
Coal "As received” 


DIAGRAMS 

showing 

AVERAGE COMPOSITION 

and 

COMPARATIVE VALUE 

of 

ILLINOIS COALS. 

1914 





































































































































































































































































































4 ( 




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Table 1.— Average analyses of Illinois coals by districts 
(Figures are for coal as received) 

Analyses by J. M. Lindgren under general supervision of Prof. S. W. Parr 


GEOLOGIC RELATIONS 


41 


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c 

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G 

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11036 

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12276 

11825 

10847 

10919 

11143 

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PART II—COUNTY REPORTS 


INTRODUCTION 

It is believed that the reader can secure most satisfactory infor¬ 
mation from a report which is divided into units that can he consid¬ 
ered separately. It is the plan, therefore, to present the facts regard¬ 
ing the coal resources of Illinois, not only in a general way for a dis¬ 
trict, but also for each county as a unit. Upon the completion of the 
separate district reports they will he combined into a volume with 
additional papers on features of general importance. 

BOND COUNTY 
Production and Mines 

Production 1 in tons, year ending June 30, 1913. . . . 231,999 


Average annual production, 1908 to 1913. 143,358 

Total production 1881 to 1913.3,160,126 


The production of coal from Bond County for the year ended 
June 30, 1912, was slightly more than 3/10 of 1 per cent of the total 
production of Illinois. Only two mines operate in the county—the 
Pocahontas Mining Company at Pocahontas and the Northern Coal & 
Supply Company at Sorento. Coal No. 6 is worked in both. 


Table 2. — List of shipping mines, Bond County, igi3 


• Company 

L ocation 

Surf. 

elev. 

Depth to 
coal No. 6 

Alt. top 
coal No. 6 


CO 

No. or 
name 

X 

St 

Sec. 

T. N. 

ay a 

Average 

thicknes: 

Produc¬ 
tion 191. 






Feet 

Feet 

Feet 

Ft. In. 

Tons 

1 Pocahontas 










Mining Co. 

1 NE 

sw 

3 4 

4 

500 

380 

120 

7 6 

139,783 

2 Northern Coal 










& Supply Co. 

SE 

sw 

31 7 

4 

609 

385 

212 

6 . . 

92,216 


COAL-BEARING ROCKS 

The coal-hearing rocks of Bond County vary in thickness from 
700 to 900 feet. The upper half consists largely of shales and is bar¬ 
ren of workable coals. Bed No. 6 is reached between 370 and ap¬ 
proximately 460 feet below the surface, and the main coals lie within 

Statistics from Coal Repts., Ill. State Mining Board. 


( 42 ) 























COUNTY REPORTS 


43 


a zone 200 feet in thickness, the top of which is represented by coal 
No. 6. 

The lower part of the “Coal Measures" is more sandy, and in the 
vicinity of Greenville considerable salt water is reported from a sand¬ 
stone of variable thickness which lies at a depth of about 700 feet. 
This sandstone reaches a thickness of almost 200 feet in a few of the 
deep holes, although the average is between 50 and 100, and in some 
places shales are interbedded with the sandstone. 

The sandstones at the base of the coal-bearing beds are productive 
of oil and gas at Carlinville, and were formerly productive at Litch¬ 
field. Indication of oil and gas are reported from a well in sec. 16, 
T. 5 N., R. 4 W. owned by the Producers Oil Company, the log of 
which is given below. 


Record of Producers Oil Company 

Location—SW.J4 NE.p* sec. 16, T. 5 N., R. 4 W. 


Description of Strata 


Thickness 

Feet 


Depth 

Feet 


Quaternary system— 

Recent— 

Clay . 

Mud, blue . 

Carboniferous system— 

Pennsylvanian Series— 

McLeansboro formation— 

Limestone . 

“Slate” and blue mud. 

Sand (hole full of water). 

“Slate” . 

Mud, blue.. 

Carbondale formation— 

Coal (No. 6). 

“Slate” . 

Limestone . 

Shale, blue . 

Pottsville formation— 

Sand, gas . 

Shale, black, and mud. 

Sand (show of yellow oil, 2 quarts to 1 bbl. water) . . 

Shale, black . 

Sand, . 

Shale . 

Sand . 

Shale, black . 

Mud, white. 

Sand, pebbles (G bailer of oil at 778 feet, 4 bailers 

of water second screw at 785 feet). 

“Slate”. 

Shale . 


89 

89 

41 

150 


10 

140 

110 

250 

100 

350 

50 

400 

35 

435 

8 

443 

47 

490 

20 

510 

105 

615 

19 

634 

34 

668 

14 

682 

8 

690 

20 

710 

20 

730 

10 

740 

10 

750 

28 

778 

20 

798 

12 

810 

10 

820 
























44 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Description of Strata Thickness Depth 

Mississippian series Feet Feet 

Chester group— 

Red rock, cave . 20 840 

Limestone shells. 3 843 

Red rock . 10 853 

Sand . 5 858 

Shale . 57 915 

“Slate,” white . 25 940 

Limestone . 3 943 

Red rock. 17 960 

Sand (hole full of water) . 15 975 

Red rock, cave . 7 982 

Sand . 6 988 

Red rock . 10 998 

Limestone . 5 1003 

Sand (water) . 10 1013 

Red rock, cave. 2 1015 

Sand . 10 1025 

Osage and Meramec (“big lime”) groups— 

Limestone (hole full of water at 1,040 feet). 480 1505 

“Slate” . 15 1520 

Limestone . 8 1528 

Kinderhook and Upper Devonian (?) shales— 

“Slate” and shells. 490 2018 

Silurian system— 

Alexandrian limestone— 

Limestone . 30 2048 

Ordovician system— 

Maquoketa shales— 

“Slate” and shells . 70 2118 

Kimmswick-Plattin (Trenton) — 

Sand and limestone, hard (no oil). 32 2150 

Limestone . 5 2155 


Well completed February 24, 1911 

The lowest beds of the “Coal Measures” overlie a series of inter- 
bedded thin limestones, sandstones, and shales, some of the latter be¬ 
ing distinctly red. The series, known as the Chester, attains a thick¬ 
ness of about 300 feet in Bond County, but toward the western side of 
the county it thins and in places is not more than 100 feet thick. 

The following logs are published to furnish detail regarding the 
character of the coal-bearing rocks : 

Log of Bond County Gas Company Well 
Location—Sec. 22, T. 5 N., R 3 W. 


Description of Strata Thickness Depth 

Feet Feet 

Soil and clay, yellow, soft (water). 90 90 

Sand and gravel, brown, soft (water, fresh). 70 160 

Lime, white, soft . 2 162 





























COUNTY REPORTS 45 

Description of Strata Thickness Depth 

Feet Feet 

Sand, green, soft . 8 170 

Lime, bine, hard . 3 173 

“Slate,” black, soft (fresh water). 10 183 

“Slate,” bine, soft. 55 238 

Lime, white, soft (fresh water). 10 248 

“Slate,” white, soft. 50 298 

Sand, white, soft, loose (salt water). 30 328 

“Slate,” white, soft. 25 353 

“Slate,” blue, soft. 30 383 

Red rock, red, soft. 5 388 

“Slate,” white, soft. 10 398 

Mud, yellow, soft. 10 408 

Lime, white, hard. 20 428 

Coal (No. 6 ), black, soft. 4 432 

“Slate,” black, soft. 16 448 

Lime shells, white, hard. 15 463 

Sand, white, soft. 30 493 

Coal, black, soft. 4 497 

“Slate,” white, soft. 48 545 

Shale, black, soft. 15 560 

Shale, brown, soft. 15 575 

Lime, blue, very hard. 8 583 

Coal, black, soft. 3 586 

Sand, white, soft (some water). 24 610 

Shale, brown, sandy and soft. 30 640 

Sand, white, soft (3 bad holes). 75 715 

Mud, black, soft (hole full water). 20 735 

Lime, blue, hard. 4 739 

“Slate,” white, soft. 10 749 

Lime, white, hard. 10 759 

“Slate” and lime shells, white, hard. 15 774 

Mud, black and soft. 10 784 

“Slate,” white, pink, soft. 24 808 

Red rock, soft. 12 820 

Coal blossom, black, soft (water). 5 825 

“Slate,” white, soft . 5 830 

“Slate,” black, hard. 10 840 

Red rock, red, soft. 12 852 

“Slate,” black, hard . 8 860 

Lime, white, hard. 4 864 

“Slate,” white, soft. 8 872 

Lime, white, hard. 22 894 

“Slate,” black, cave . 20 914 

Lime, white, hard . 2 916 

Red rock, red, soft. 4 920 

“Slate,” black, hard. 12 932 

Sand (1st Lindley), white soft (gas at 935 to 940). 34 966 

“Slate,” black, soft (water at 950). 4 970 

Sandy lime, white, hard in bottom, top soft. 30 1000 

“Slate,” white, soft. 3 1003 




















































46 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Description of Strata 

Sand lime, brown, very hard. 

“Slate,” white, soft. 

Red rock, red, soft (gas at 1049). 

“Slate,” black, hard (gas at 1052). 

Sand, (2nd Lindley), white, hard. 

Record of Lumaghi Coal 
Location—SWd/t SW.Li sec. 26, T. 

Thickness 

Feet 

. 10 

. 12 

. 15 

. 8 

. 6 

Co. 

7 N., R. 4 W. 

Depth 

Feet 

1013 

1025 

1040 

1048 

1054 

Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 


Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Sand, gravel, clav, lime. 

82 

. , 

82 

, , 

Fire clay . 

8 

6 

90 

6 

Lime, sandv . 

9 

6 

100 

. , 

Lime, hard, brown. 

8 

6 

108 

6 

Shale, blue . 

1 

6 

110 


Shale, black . 

1 


111 


Fire clay . 

11 


122 


Shale, light . 

15 

. , 

137 


Coal . 

2 

6 

139 

6 

Fire clay . 

3 

6 

143 


Shale, light . 

27 


170 


Lime, sandv . 

4 


174 


Shale, sandy . 

8 


182 


Rock . 

4 


186 


Shale, light. 

25 


211 


“Slate,” black. 

1 

6 

212 

6 

Lime . 

2 


214 

6 

Shale, blue . 

12 


226 

6 

“Slate,” blue. 

9 

6 

236 


Coal. 

2 


238 


Fire clay . 

2 


240 


Sandv shale . 

82 


322 


Shale, light . 

20 


342 


Lime, sandv . 

4 


346 


Shale, light. 

6 


352 


Shale, red . 

2 


354 


Shale, yellow . 

4 


358 


Shale, blue . 

13 


371 


Lime. 

10 


381 


Clay, blue . 

4 


385 


“Slate,” black. 

2 


387 


Coal (No. 6). 

7 

9 

394 

9 

Fire clay . 

Lime 


5 

395 

2 

























































COUNTY REPORTS 


47 


Record of H. R. Ameling, hole No. i 
Location—Center SW.Ri SE y A sec. 12, T. 6 N., R. 5 W. 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 


Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Clay, yellow . 

7 


7 


Sand and clav. 

9 


16 


Shale, brown . 

2 


18 


Shale, dark . 

7 


25 


Sandstone . 

2 


27 


Shale, dark. 

59 


86 


Limestone, grav . 

7 

6 

93 

6 

Shale, black . 

31 


124 

6 

Coal . 

1 


125 

6 

Shale, dark. 

52 

6 

178 


Limestone . 

4 


182 


Shale, dark. 

39 


221 


Sandstone, soft . 

13 


234 


Shale, dark. 

81 


315 


Shale, red . 

1 


316 


Shale, blue . 

8 


324 


Shale, mixed . 

11 


335 


Limestone . 

4 


339 


Shale, dark. 

15 


354 


Coal . 

1 


355 


Shale, dark. 

13 


368 


Limestone decomposed. 

3 


371 


Limestone . 

3 


374 


Coal, no cores. 

4 

6 

378 

6 

Coal . 

1 


379 

6 

Shale, dark. 

5 


384 

6 

Shale, grav. 

7 

2 

391 

8 

Shale, dark. 

18 

. . 

409 

8 

Shale, blue . 

3 

4 

413 


Sandstone, gray . 

1 

3 

414 

3 

Shale, dark. 

2 

. . 

416 

3 

Shale, gray.. 

4 

9 

421 


Shale, light blue. 

25 

. . 

446 


Shale, dark. 

36 


482 



Geologic Structure 

The geologic structure of the beds as indicated by the position of 
coal No. 6 has been described in a general way on page 33. Bond 
County contains parts of four major structural features—Sorento 
dome, Ayers anticline, Stubblefield anticline, and the Irishtown anti¬ 
cline. 

Coal No. 6 lies highest above sea level in the extreme northwest¬ 
ern corner of the county where its altitude is between 200 and 250 feet 
above sea level. The general dip to the south and east carries the 
coal 20 feet below sea level in the southeast corner of the county. 






























































48 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Despite the dip, the depth of the coal beneath the surface does not in¬ 
crease regularly because the surface slopes gradually toward the south 
and east and counteracts the effect of the dip. 

The Ayers anticline already described lies in the northern part of 
the county, its axis extending almost east and west through T. 6 N., 
Rs. 2, 3, and 4 W. 

Four miles north of Greenville coal No. 6 is 165 feet above sea 
level or about 80 feet higher than at Greenville. The coal continues 
low to the west and at Old Ripley averages 75 feet above sea. From 
this place the beds rise towards the south, and coal No. 6 reaches an 
altitude of 179 feet in the NE. cor. sec. 32, T. 5 N., R. 4 W. on the 
Stubblefield anticline. There appears to be a depression of minor im¬ 
portance between the fold named immediately above and the Irish- 
town anticline. The axis of the latter extends northwest-southeast 
through the southeast part of T. 4 N., R. 4 W. and the southwest 
part of T. 4 N., R. 3 W. 

The structure in the southeast quarter of the county is character¬ 
ized by a gradual dip in this direction. The elevations of the coal in 
the southwest corner of the county were computed by J. A. Udden 
from surface outcrops of limestone and it is possible that the degree of 
dip to the south is somewhat exaggerated. 

Coal No. 6 

Coal No. 6 is commercially the most important bed in the county. 
So far as known, it is present under the entire county except a few 
sections in the eastern part of T. 6 N., R. 5 W. It appears to be ab¬ 
sent in sec. 23, and is represented by a 1-foot bed in sec. 24. This 
“spotty” territory is part of a larger area shown on Plate I in Chris¬ 
tian, Montgomery, and Bond counties, in which coal No. 6 is ex¬ 
tremely irregular and “pockety.” Many holes show it to be absent, 
whereas others indicate a normal thickness. It is believed that this 
development is the result of topographic conditions at the time the 
coal was being deposited. An irregular arm of land, rising here and 
there slightly above the level of the swamp in which the vegetal mat¬ 
ter was growing, and having the general outline indicated on the map, 
would cause such an irregular absence of coal. 

Another and equally reasonable theory attributes the absence of 
the coal to erosion after deposition. In some holes which do not show 
coal No. 6, the normal limestone cap rock also is absent. It is prob¬ 
able that after the deposition of the coal of some of the overlying beds, 
this part of the State existed as a land surface upon which the drain¬ 
age cut channels to varying depths and locally removed the coal com¬ 
pletely. The following log illustrates such a condition. 


COUNTY REPORTS 


49 


Record of H. R. Ameling hole A J o. 3 
Location—Sec. 23, T. 6 N„ R. 5 W. 


Description of Strata 


Clay . 

Sand . 

Clay . 

Shale, bine . 

Shale, sandy. 

Shale, sand}', with streaks of sandy 

limestone . 

Shale, gray, sandy. 

Shale, dark. 

Limestone, gray . 

Shale, blue . 

Limestone, gray. 

Shale, dark. 

Shale, black . 

Shale, gray. 

Shale, gray, with black streaks. 

Shale, sandy, gray. 

Shale, gray, with streaks of brown lime¬ 
stone . 

Shale, dark gray. 

Coal . 

Shale, dark gray, sandy. 

Sand, gray, streaked with shale. 

Limestone, gray . 

Shale, dark . 

Shale, dark, sandy . 

Sand, white . 

Shale, dark, sandy . 

Sand, white . 

Shale, dark. 

Shale, variegated. 

Shale, dark. 

Limestone, gray . 

Shale, dark . 

Shale, blue. 

Streaks of blue shale, gray limestone 

and white sand . 

Sand, white (place of coal No. 6). 

Shale, dark, sandy. 

Sand, white . 

Shale, dark. 

Sand, white . 

Sand, white, with streaks of coal. 

Shale, dark, sandy . 

Sand, white . 

Shale, dark sandy.. 


Thickness 


Depth 


Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

14 


14 

2 


16 

8 

, , 

24 

8 

• • 

32 


10 

32 

9 

2 

42 

12 

. , 

54 

17 

# , 

71 

6 


77 

19 

, , 

96 

6 

10 

102 

1 

2 

104 

1 

6 

105 

16 

6 

122 

14 


136 

15 


151 

15 


166 

2 

2 

168 


10 

169 

27 


196 

3 

10 

199 


8 

200 

30 

6 

231 

10 

, , 

241 

25 

# , 

266 

7 


273 

32 

. . 

305 

7 


312 

15 


327 

2 

# # 

329 

5 

6 

334 

1 

6 

336 

4 


340 

20 


360 

10 


370 

5 

. , 

375 

5 

. . 

380 

3 

t , 

383 

32 


415 

10 

, , 

425 

3 

# . 

428 

18 

m . 

446 

5 


451 


In, 


10 


10 

6 


2 

10 

6 































































50 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


With the exception of the southeast quarter of the county and the 
small area mentioned above, coal No. 6 averages 7 feet in thickness, 
which is the average for the coal in the district. Nine holes in the 
eastern half of T. 5 N., R. 3 W. in the vicinity of Greenville show an 
average thickness of 3 feet 2 inches for coal No. 6. At Smithboro in 
the next township east it is 3 feet, which is the thickness reported in 
two holes located in secs. 20 and 35, T. 4 N., R. 2 W. 

Coals below No. 6 

Most of the prospect holes are stopped in the fire clay underlying 
coal No. 6, hence this coal is fairly well known; whereas those below 
are but little explored. Tests in sec. 12, T. 6 N., R. 5 W. were con¬ 
tinued 120 feet below coal No. 6 without passing through any other 
commercial coal. One log in this section shows streaks of coal 50 feet 
below coal No. 6, and another reports a 6-inch bed 105 feet below the 
same horizon. About 20 holes have been drilled for oil in Bond 
County, and in only 6 of these are noted coals other than No. 6. It 
must be remembered that the oil prospects are made by the churn 
drill, and measurements are not so accurate as with the diamond drill. 
Since the main interest is oil, the resulting coal data are probably in¬ 
accurate, but they comprise the best available information for the beds 
below coal No. 6. 

Although all of the holes in which lower coals are reported are 
in the vicinity of Greenville, correlation of the different beds is a diffi¬ 
cult matter owing to the variability of the intervals between the coals. 
In sec. 9, T. 5 N., R. 3 W. a 6^4-foot bed is reported to lie 200 feet 
below coal No. 6 at a depth of 625 feet. A 6-foot bed is noted oc¬ 
cupying the same position at the same depth in sec. 26 of this town¬ 
ship. A similar bed is reported in sec. 22, 180 feet below coal No. 6. 
It is possible that this bed represents No. 2 and that the interval be¬ 
tween coals No. 2 and No. 6 is somewhat less than to the south. In 
secs. 22 and 26, T. 5 N., R. 3 W. a bed of coal from 3 to 4 feet thick 
is found from 60 to 70 feet below No. 6. This bed is probably to be 
correlated with coal No. 5 which is mined in the Springfield region. 
In sec. 23 a 5-foot bed is reported 100 feet below coal No. 6. It is 
not represented in any of the other logs and its correlation is doubtful. 

CLINTON COUNTY 
Production and Mtnes 


Production in tons, year ending June 30, 1913.1,036,303 

Average annual production 1909 to 1913.1,020,373 

Total production 1881 to 1913.16,032,809 





COUNTY REPORTS 


51 


Clinton County ranked 17 in 1913 having a production of 1.7 per 
cent of the entire Illinois output, love shipping mines were in opera¬ 
tion, all working coal No. 6. 


Table 3.— List of shipping mines, Clinton County, 1913 


Map 

No. 

Company 

Mine 
name or 

No. 

Location 

Surf. 

elev. 

Depth of 
coal No. 6 

Alt. top 

coal No. 6 

Average 

thickness 

1 

Produc¬ 

tion, 1913 

'St 

St 

O 

<L> 

■SI 

H 

R. W. 









Feet 

Feet 

Feet 

Ft. In. 

Tons 

1 

Southern Coal, 













Coke & Min- 













ing Co. 

9 

NW 

sw 

17 

1 

5 

454 

319 

135 

8 . . 

367,619 

2 

Breese-Trenton 













Mining Co. 

East 

.. 

NE 

22 

2 

4 

450 

400 

50 

7 6 

236,885 

3 

North Breese 













Coal Mining 













Co. 

North 

sw 

NE 

23 

2 

4 

442 

392 

50 

7 6 

235,096 

4 

Consolidated 













Coal Co. 

West 


NE 

21 

2 

4 

457 

394 

63 

7 6 

120,186 

5 

Breese-Trenton 













Mining Co. 

Buxton 


NE 

21 

2 

3 

458 

432 

26 

8 . . 

76,517 


COAL-BEARING ROCKS 


The coal-bearing rocks of Clinton County, which are covered by 
an average thickness of 100 feet of drift, vary in thickness from 500 
to 1000 feet, the larger sections lying in the eastern part where the 
eastward dip has been effective in carrying all of the beds deeper be¬ 
neath the surface. The Shoal Creek limestone, which is described on 
page 25, is well exposed along Shoal Creek and its tributaries. It 
appears to be fairly persistent over the county east of its boundary, 
and lies from 250 to slightly more than 300 feet above coal No. 6. 

No coals of commercial importance exist above No. 6. A thin 
bed from 150 to 180 feet above coal No. 6, is noted in places. This 
bed, which is seldom reported to be more than 15 inches thick, is 
probably to be correlated with coal No. 8. Scattered records show a 
thin bed representing coal No. 7 between 25 and 35 feet above coal 
No. 6. It contains bands of ‘‘slate" and sulphur amounting here and 
there to definite partings and separating the bed into at least two 
benches. In sec. 12, T. 1 N., R. 1 W. the entire bed measures 2 feet 
8 inches, but its average is between 1 and 2 feet. 

Most of the logs show a limestone of varying thickness immediate¬ 
ly overlying, or slightly above, coal No. 6. In places the limestone 
rests on the coal, but in most places a shale of varying thickness in¬ 
tervenes. The Buxton mine at Beckemeyer has black shale roof which 
attains a thickness of 4 feet, although here and there it is absent, and 

































52 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


the limestone immediately overlies the coal. Typical sections in this 
county show a dark or black shale of variable thickness containing 
“niggerheads” and forming the roof of the coal. Above this is a 
limestone which may be separated into two or more benches, the com¬ 
bined thickness averaging less than 10 feet. 

The following logs are from holes in different parts of Clinton 
County: 


Well Record of Germantown Flour Mills 
Farm and well—Schurman No. 1. Location—Sec. 8, T. 1 N., R. 3 W. 


Description of Strata 

i 

Thickness 

Depth 


Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Soil . 

1 

. , 

1 

• • 

Clay, sandy . 

19 


20 

• • 

Sand and gravel, partly cement. 

30 

6 

50 

6 

Clay, blue, gravelly . 

30 

6 

81 

. . 

Shale, blue . 

1 

. . 

82 

• • 

Limestone . 

6 

7 

88 

7 

Shale, blue . 

2 

9 

91 

4 

Shale, black . 

2 

8 

94 

. • 

Shale, dark; one hard layer. 

10 

2 

104 

2 

Coal, bonv . 

, , 

4 

104 

6 

Coal . 

, . 

6 

105 


Shale, soft, light . 

7 . 


112 


Shale, sandy . 

19 


131 


Shale, blue . 

28 


159 


Shale, light . 

13 


172 


Shale, sandy. 

4 


221 


Sandstone . 

25 


246 


Sandstone, coal parting . 

5 


251 


Shale, blue . 

19 

6 

270 

6 

Sandstone . 

4 

10 

275 

4 

Conglomerate . 

6 

. . 

281 

4 

Shale, blue . 

. , 

5 

281 

9 

Shale, dark . 

7 

. , 

288 

9 

Shale, dark blue, hard bands. 

5 

3 

294 

, , 

Shale, gray . 

16 


310 

, , 

Shale, dark blue, hard bands. 

31 

9 

341 

9 

Shale, black . 

. . 

3 

342 

, , 

Clay shale . 

1 

3 

343 

3 

Limestone . 

3 

. . 

346 

3 

Shale, blue . 

10 

. . 

356 

3 

Shale, black . 

. . 

9 

357 

# # 

Clay shale .. 

6 

6 

363 

6 

Limestone . 

5 

6 

369 


Shale, blue . 

5 

6 

374 

6 

Coal, bony . 

. . 

7 

375 

1 

Clay . 

4 

11 

380 

. # 

Coal, bony . 

1 


381 


























































COUNTY REPORTS 


53 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 


Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Clay shale . 

4 


385 


Limestone . 

7 

6 

392 

6 

Shale, dark . 

3 

6 

396 


Limestone . 

1 


397 


Shale, dark . 

1 

4 

398 

4 

Limestone . 

3 


401 

4 

Shale, dark . 

3 


404 

4 

Limestone . 

1 


405 

4 

Shale, dark . 

3 


408 

4 

Limestone . 

1 

6 

409 

10 

Coal. 


f 

6 

# . 

415 

10 

“Blue band”. 

No. 6 


. , 

1 

415 

11 

Coal. 



1 

8 

417 

7 

Clay. 


1 

5 

419 

• • 


Well record of Gibson and Veitch 
Farm and well—C. N. Dunn, No. 1. 


Location—NE.14 NE.% sec. 1, T. 1 N, R. 1 W. 


Description of Strata 

Clay and sub soil. 

Gravel . 

“Slate” . 

Lime, very hard . 

“Slate” . 

Lime, very hard . 

“Slate” and lime shells. 

Lime, very hard, cap rock .. 

Coal (No. 6). 

“Slate” . 

Coal (No. 5). 

“Slate” and thin lime shells 

Upper salt water sand. 

“Slate” and thin lime shells 

Sand (water) . 

“Slate” and lime shells.... 

Sand (water) . 

Red Rock (cave). 

Limestone . 

Oil sand . 

Sand (water) from. 

Limestone . 


Thickness 

Depth 

Feet 

Feet 

34 

34 

6 

40 

21 

61 

15 

76 

49 

125 

15 

140 

. 405 

545 

31 

576 

6 

582 

63 

645 

4 

649 

166 

815 

40 

855 

. 180 

1035 

115 

1150 

. 100 

1250 

110 

1360 

10 

1370 

11 

1374 

11 

1385 

98-1422 

1520 

. 162 

1682 



















































54 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Record of Trenton Coal Co., well No. i 
Location—sec. 29, T. 2 N., R. 5 W. 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 

Pennsylvanian series— 

Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Clay, yellow . 

22 

• . 

22 


Clay, blue . 

20 

. . 

42 


Shale, blue . 

1 


43 


Shale, sandy . 

2 


45 


Shale, sandy . 

55 


100 


Sandstone, shale partings. 

22 


122 


Sandstone . 

47 


169 


Shale, blue . 

2 


171 


Sandstone . 

26 


197 


Sand and lime mixed. 

2 

6 

199 

6 

Sandstone . 

14 

8 

214 

2 

Conglomerate. 

. . 

8 

214 

10 

Shale, blue . 

15 

2 

230 


Lime shale . 

7 

, , 

237 


Shale, blue . 

20 


257 


Shale, blue, and lime pebbles.. 

3 

, . 

260 


Limestone . 

2 

. . 

262 


Limestone, very hard. 

5 

4 

267 

4 

Shale, soft, blue. 

6 

10 

274 

2 

Limestone . 

4 

5 

278 

7 

Shale, sandy . 

8 

5 

287 

# . 

Shale, blue . 

34 


321 


Coal, shaly . 

2 

. . 

323 


Coal (No. 6). 

5 

3 

328 

3 

Fire clay . 

2 

9 

331 

# # 

Limestone . 

5 

8 

336 

8 

Clay, shale, lime, pebbles.... 

2 

10 

339 

6 

Lime shale . 

2 

, , 

341 

6 

Sandstone . 

4 

6 

346 


Shale, blue . 

20 


366 


Limestone . 

1 

6 

367 

6 

Shale, black . 

2 

6 

370 


Coal (No. 5). 

2 

6 

372 

6 

Fire clay . 

. . 

6 

373 


Sand shale . 

13 


386 


Lime shale . 

3 

4 

389 

4 

Limestone . 

. , 

6 

389 

10 

Shale, blue . 

27 

2 

417 


Shale, blue . 

2 

4 

419 

4 

Slate, black . 

, # 

8 

420 


Coal . 

. . 

9 

420 

9 

Shale, blue . 

24 

3 

445 


Shale, blue . 

2 

4 

446 

4 

Limestone . 

. . 

8 

448 


Shale, black . 

. , 

6 

448 

6 

Fossiliferous . 


6 

449 

• • 


































































COUNTY REPORTS 


55 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 


Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Shale, black . 

3 

3 

452 

3 

Coal . 

5 


452 

8 

Coal . 

1 

7 

454 

3 

Fire clay, soft. 

1 


455 

3 

Clav shale . 

5 

2 

460 


Shale, black . 


6 

460 

11 

Coal, bony . 

1 

9 

462 

8 

Shale, soft . 

1 

2 

463 

10 

Coal, bony . 

9 


464 

7 

Shale, soft dark. 

10 

5 

475 


Shale, bine . 

68 


543 


Sandstone . 

8 

2 

551 

2 

Shale . 


10 

552 


Coal . 

i 


553 


Clay shale . 

3 

, . 

556 


Shale, blue . 

4 

2 

560 

2 

Sandstone . 

19 

7 

579 

9 

Mississippian series— 

Chester formation (upper part) — 
Limestone . 


3 

580 


Limestone . 

11 


591 


Sand shale . 

8 


599 


Sand and lime mixed. 

9 

4 

608 

4 

Clay shale . 

. . 

10 

609 

2 

Limestone . 

. , 

6 

609 

8 

Shale, red and blue, lime bands 

4 

4 

614 


Shale, red . 

. . 

6 

614 

6 

Shale, blue . 

13 

6 

628 


Limestone . 

9 

4 

637 

4 

Limestone shale mixed. 

3 

8 

641 



The record just above shows no limestone or black shale near the 
coal. Such a condition is not rare, and is attributed to erosion after 
the deposition of part of the roof materials. More details will be 
given in the discussion of coal No. 6. 

The coal-bearing rocks extend from 300 to 600 feet below coal 
No. 6, the variation in thickness being due to the deposition of the low¬ 
est Pennsylvanian sediments on a former land surface which was com¬ 
posed of hills and valleys larger than those of Illinois today. As a 
rule the lowest 200 feet of “Coal Measures’’ is more sandy than the 
upper part of the section. The Pottsville formation at the base av¬ 
erages 160 feet at Carlyle and thickens towards the south. It is com¬ 
posed of sandstones interbedded with shales. The sands are gener¬ 
ally porous, and over most of the county the Pottsville is known as 
the “salt sand,” because of the large amount of salt water contained. 










































56 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


The coals of commercial importance lie in a zone 250 feet thick, 
coal No. 6 being at the top. Most of the available logs for Clinton 
County are records of churn-drill holes bored in prospecting for pe¬ 
troleum. The data regarding the coals are rather meagre, especially 
for those below coal No. 6, which is mined and well known. These 
beds will be described so far as known under the subject “Coals be¬ 
low No. 6”. 


The “Coal Measures” overlie a series of limestones, shales, and 
sandstones known as the Chester group, which varies in thickness in 
Clinton County from 300 to 600 feet, and contains the producing oil 
sands at Carlyle. This series is most easily recognized by the pres¬ 
ence of red shales, or “red rock” of the driller. These shales should 
not be confused with those lying in some places from 20 to 50 feet 
above coal No. 6, mentioned earlier in this report. The Chester con¬ 
tains no commercially valuable coal, and prospecting for this material 
should be discontinued upon reaching these beds. If identification is 
difficult, the detailed log of the well, or better still, samples from each 
screw (in the case of churn drilling) should be sent to the State Geo¬ 
logical Survey. This office will be glad to make proper correlations 
and to advise the operator of the position of his drill in the strati¬ 
graphic section. 

The following log is typical of the relation of the “Coal Measures” 
to the underlying Chester. 


Well record of Siva Oil Co. 


Location—NW.Rf sec. 5, T. 2 N., R. 5 W. 


Description of Strata* 
Pennsylvanian series— 

Clay . 

Lime . 

Shale, sandy... 
“Slate” ....... 

Lime . 

“Slate” . 

Lime . 

“Slate” . 

Red rock. 

“Slate” . 

Lime. 

“Slate” . 

Coal (No. 6).. 

“Slate” . 

Lime .. 

“Slate”. 

Lime . 

“Slate”. 

Shale, sandy ... 


Thickness 

Depth 

Feet 

Feet 

43 

43 

5 

48 

7 

55 

30 

85 

8 

93 

124 

317 

6 

223 

93 

316 

4 

320 

15 

335 

10 

345 

5 

350 

7 

357 

39 

396 

2 

398 

86 

485 

5 

490 

70 

560 

87 

647 





















COUNTY REPORTS 


Description of Strata 

“Slate” . 

Sand . 

“Slate”. 

Mississippian Series— 

Chester group (upper part) — 

Lime . 

“Slate” . 

Red rock . 

“Slate” . 

Lime . 

“Slate” . 

Lime. 

“Slate”. 

Lime. 

“Slate” . 

Sand. 

“Slate” . 

Red rock . 

Lime . 

Red rock. 

“Slate” . 

Sand . 

“Slate” . 

Lime .. 



57 

Thickness 

Depth 

Feet 

Feet 

13 

660 

12 

672 

10 

682 


18 

700 

8 

708 

14 

722 

10 

732 

25 

757 

18 

775 

12 

787 

15 

802 

30 

832 

35 

857 

9 

866 

68 

934 

9 

943 

10 

953 

6 

959 

51 

1010 

120 

1130 

10 

1140 

11 

1151 


♦ 


Geologic Structure 

Clinton County lies on the west side of the Illinois coal basin, and 
the most noticeable feature of the geologic structure is a general east¬ 
ward dip of the beds as shown by the attitude of coal No. 6. Along 
the western side of the county this coal is 180 feet above sea level; 
whereas on the eastern side it is as much as 150 feet below the sea, a 
difference of 330 feet. The eastward dip is not regular, but is inter¬ 
rupted by gentle folds, at least one of which has proved to be of eco¬ 
nomic importance. The Carlyle anticline described in Part I raises 
coal No. 6 to an elevation of 60 feet above sea level in the northwest 
corner of the Carlyle oil field. The axis of this fold extends north¬ 
west-southeast and differs in this respect from the axis of the fold in 
the oil sands 600 feet below the coal. The condition is due to the lack 
of parallelism between the sands and the coal. The coal is higher 
along the axis than to the north, east, or south. 

The axis of the Irishtown anticline enters the county about the 
center of the north line of T. 3 N., R. 3 W., and extends a little south 
of east, until the fold loses its identity in T. 3 N., R. 2 W. In sec. 17 
of this township the coal is 73 feet above sea level, 50 feet higher than 
in holes 4 miles to the north or south. 
























58 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Several holes drilled by the Siva Oil Company in secs. 13, 24, and 
25, T. 2 N., R. 5 \Y. are difficult to correlate with other holes in the 
vicinity. The coals are thin and irregularly developed in the different 
holes, and no definite structure is suggested. It was thought by some 
that because the main coal was found considerably higher above sea 
level in these holes, a dome had been proved to exist. It is believed 
by the author that faulting is responsible for the discrepancies, 
although the exact nature of the movements has not been determined. 

The coal lies 60 feet above sea level in the northwest corner of sec. 
7, T. 1 N., R. 3 W., one mile northwest of Bartelso. This altitude for 
coal No. 6 indicates that a dome exists, since the coal is lower in all 
directions from this point. 

At Hoffman the top of the coal is 43 feet above sea level, almost 
as high as at Bartelso, 11 miles west, although the regular east dip 
would carry the coal much deeper. The rocks here are higher than 
to the west, north, or east. Their position to the south is not known. 
A wide shallow syncline appears to exist between Bartelso and Hoff¬ 
man. 

With the exception of the Aviston area, the structure appears 
to be fairly regular and free from major faulting. 1 

Several small faults exist in mine No. 9 of the Southern Coal 
and Mining Company, NW. Y+ SE. C+ sec. 17, T. 1 N., R. 5 W. A 
few of these dislocations have been traced almost a mile. They trend 
from east-west to northeast-southwest and appear to split at different 
points. Figure 6 represents two persistent faults on the east side of 



Fig. 6.— Sketch of faults on main east entry near parting, Southern Coal, 
Coke and Mining Co., mine No. 7, New Baden, Clinton County. 

the mine. They are northeast-southwest fractures, along the north¬ 
west side of which the strata have dropped about 8 feet, practically 
the thickness of the coal. Other than a slight shattering of the coal 
near the fracture, the effect is small and consists in causing steep 


'The term fault in this report signifies an actual fracture along which vertical or 
horizontal movement has occurred. It does not refer to erosion channels, clay veins, or 
“horsebacks” often called “faults” by the miner. 








































COUNTY REPORTS 


59 


grades for haulage. Small faults of a similar character were found 
in the West mine at Trenton. 

Small irregularities in the dip exist in most of the mines and are 
known to the miners as “sags” and “hills”. They consist of dips 
which continue comparatively short distances, and then change to the 
opposite direction. Figure 7 shows the track profiles (approximately 



Fig. 7.— Track profiles in parts of Southern Coal, Coke and Mining Co., 
mine No. 9, New Baden, Clinton County. 


the base of coal) in parts of the New Baden mine. Local hills and 
valleys give a relief of 15 feet to the coal in a distance of 400 to 800 
feet and the irregularity of the dip is well illustrated in the cut. These 
features appear to have no definite trend and may be related to the 
floor upon which the original vegetal matter was deposited. It is 
difficult to believe that regional movements have produced features 
so small in extent. 

The chief effect of these irregular dips is additional haulage 
expense. In a few mines in the State, as in the Jeffrey mine near 
Herrin, the hills are so steep that the maintainance of a suitable grade 
for the track requires more than ordinary expenditure. No serious 
difficulty of this kind is reported in Clinton County. 

Coal No. 6 

DISTRIBUTION AND DEPTH 

Coal No. 6 (“blue band”) is represented throughout the entire 
county, although its thickness varies. It is nearest the surface on 
the western side of the county where it lies at a depth of 320 to 350 
feet. Its gradual east dip carries it to depths between 500 and 575 
feet in the eastern part of the county. The arching of the beds in 
the vicinity of Hoffman counteracts the effect of the regular east dip 
and brings the coal almost 100 feet nearer the surface than would 
otherwise be expected. 

The deepest shaft in the county, that of the Breese-Trenton 
Mining Company’s Buxton mine at Beckemeycr reaches the bottom of 
coal No. 6 at 440 feet. Fortunately sufficient drilling has been done 
to enable one to outline the areas of thin coal with some success. At 










present mining operations are carried on at New Baden, Breese, and 
Beckemeyer, the mines being located along the railroads and in areas 
where the coal averages 7 to 8 feet in thickness. 

THICKNESS OF COAL NO. 6 

In an irregularly shaped area of about 35 square miles in the 
vicinity of Aviston (see Plate I in pocket), coal No. 6 is either absent 
or much below normal thickness. In this area 8 holes give an average 
thickness of slightly less than 3 feet for this bed. It should be 
remembered that most of these holes were made by the churn drill 
and that the measurements are not uniformly accurate. However, it 
is certain that the coal does not attain its normal thickness and it is 
probable that this area is the southward extension of the more or less 
barren area at Highland, Madison County, and north in parts of 
Montgomery and Bond counties, described earlier in the report and 
more in detail in the reports for the counties named. In Clinton 
County, this area is roughly rectangular, its long axis extending about 
N. 30° W. through the town of Aviston, which is near the center of 
the area. Its length is about 8 miles in Clinton County and its average 
width, about 4 miles. A drill hole located in sec. 34, T. 2 N., R. 4 W. 
is the only one in which coal No. 6 is absent; in the others it is merely 
much thinner than normal. 

Another roughly rectangular area of thinner coal approximately 
100 square miles in extent lies in the eastern part of the county. Its 
width is about 8 miles, a little greater than the distance from Carlyle 
to Hoffman, and its long dimension in Clinton County is about 14 
miles (see Plate I). So far as known definitely from present data, 
the southern boundary of this area is represented by a line connecting 
Carlyle and Hoffman, and its long axis extends about N. 15° E. 
through the north line of the county. It is entirely probable that this 
area of thinner coal continues to the south through Washington 
County, into Perry, and across the line east into Jefferson County, but 
drill holes are too scattered to permit the safe drawing of definite 
boundaries for thick and thin coals in the counties just mentioned. 
Even in Clinton County the line is tentative and will no doubt be 
changed by the results of future drilling. It is probable that small 
areas will be found inside the boundaries indicated where coal No. 6 
reaches its normal development, but available information indicates the 
probable irregular nature of the coal within such lines. 

To the west and southwest of the “spotty” area near Aviston 
the coal varies in thickness from 5 feet to 8j4 feet, the average being 
6 feet 10 inches in 8 holes scattered over the western parts of Tps. 1 
and 2 N., R. 5 W. In the central part of the county, between the 


COUNTY REPORTS 


61 


two areas of thinner coal, its average thickness is 7 feet. This area 
contains the mines at Beckemeyer and at Breese. In mine No. 10 
of the Southern Coal and Mining Company at Germantown coal No. 6 
ranges in thickness from 4 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 2 inches. It is 
reported that a 2-foot 4-inch bed exists at a distance of 5 or 6 feet below 
coal No. 6 and that the two beds together represent the “blue-band” 
coal, the interval between being merely a parting. This information is 
not confirmed or disproved by logs in the Survey office, the only 
similar suggestion being an unsupported statement that at the mill in 
New Baden about 8 miles southwest of Germantown, the coal is divided 
into two benches by a 2-foot parting of shale. Such a division is not 
known at the New Baden mines, a short distance away. The extreme 
eastern part of the county is directly connected with the Centralia 
field across the line in Marion County. The few holes that have 
been drilled here indicate an average thickness of 6 feet for coal 
No. 6. 


PHYSICAL CHARACTER OF COAL NO. 6 

The physical character of the coal is best determined at the face 
in mines where a large area is exposed to view. Figure 8 shows the 
general characteristics of coal No. 6 in Clinton County. This coal 
exhibits the usual characteristics of the bed over the district. It is 
separated into three benches which are uniformly recognizable. At 
New Baden the bed averages 8 feet 4 inches in thickness. A charcoal 
parting about 2 feet from the roof separates the middle bench from 
the top coal which is generally bright and hard and contains but little 
dirt. In places a few small vertical streaks of pyrite cut through the 
upper part of the bed. 

The middle bench, about 4f4 feet thick, extends from the parting 
mentioned above, down to the “blue band”, a clay containing some 
pyrite and averaging 1 to 1 )/ 2 inches in thickness. This bench con¬ 
sists of alternate layers of bright and dull coal, also bands of dirt, 
charcoal, and pyrite. Individual bands of impurities are generally 
lenticular and can not be traced throughout the mine, but it is not 
unusual to find two more or less persistent streaks of pyrite in the 
middle bench. In the mine mentioned above two such bands are 
known, each about *4 inch thick, the upper one about 15 to 18 inches 
below the top coal parting, and the other 12 to 18 inches lower. Because 
of their hardness the pyrite streaks are often called “steel” bands 
by the miner, and where such streaks are persistent the placing of 
shots is governed to some extent by their position, in order to take 
advantage of the parting which they afford. 


62 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


4 



Fig. 8.—Graphic sections of coal No. 6 from measurements made in mines 
of Clinton County. (B indicates “bone.”) 

1. Southern Coal Co., mine No. 10, Germantown (abandoned). 9th W. 
off 1st. N., 2200 feet from shaft. 

2. Trenton Coal Co., mine No. 1, Trenton (abandoned). Room 1, 2d E., 
north side. 

3. Breese-Trenton Mining Co., Beckemeyer. Face 3d E. off N. 

4. Southern Coal, Coke and Mining Co., New 7 Baden. 6th N. off main 
east entry. 


The bottom bench measures from 17 to 24 inches. It consists in 
most places of harder coal than the middle and tends to contain a 
higher percentage of dirt. A dull appearance due to the large amount 
of impurities present is common. 

In the fracture planes of the coal small amounts of calcium 
carbonate have been deposited and now appear as white scales. Irregu¬ 
lar balls of pyrite exist in some of the mines, but not so plentifully as 
to cause special trouble in mining. 

The general conditions at Beckemeyer agree with those just 
described except in measurement detail. The top coal is 18 inches thick, 






























coil NT Y REPORTS 


63 


and a small pyrite band commonly lies about 20 inches below the top 
of the middle bench. The “blue band" averages 5 or inches in 
thickness. In places it is in two parts separated by an inch or two of 
clean coal. In others the upper part consists of bone and coal and 
the lower part is a mixture of gray shale and pyrite. 

The following table shows the measurements on coal No. 6 made 
at different mines in Clinton County. 


Table 4 .—Mine measurements of the three benches composing coal AT. 6 in 

Clinton County 


Company 

Mine 

Top 

coal 

Middle 

bench 

“Blue 

band’’ 

Lowest 

bench 

Southern Coal, Coke & Alining 


Ft. In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Inches 

I n ch cs 

Co. 

No. 9 

2 . . 

4 

6 

i to i y 2 

20 
to 24 

Breese-T'renton Mining Co. 

Buxton 

1 6 

4 

6 

3 to 5 $4 

24 

Trenton Coal Co. 

No. 1 

(South mine) 

4 to 5 

4 

7 

15* 

18 

Cooperative Coal & Mng. Co. 

1 


.. 


2 

14 

Southern Coal Co. 

10 

1 8 


1154 

K 

26 


The thin top coal of the South mine at Trenton and the 11 bi-inch 
middle bench of Southern Coal Company No. 10 at Germantown are 
the principal irregularities in the mines examined in the county. Neither 
of these mines produced any coal during 1912-13. 

ROOF AND FLOOR 

Throughout most of the county a good limestone cap rock lies 
above the coal. It ranges from 5 to 15 feet in thickness and in places 
is separated into several beds by small layers of shale. This is the 
persistent limestone which contains the little fossil called Fusulina 
cylindrica. It is about the size of a grain of wheat, and its presence 
enables the geologist to identify the bed in places where coal No. 6 is 
absent. Here and there the limestone rests directly on the coal, but 
in many places a black shale, called “slate” by the miner, intervenes 
between the cap rock and the coal. In most of the mines both con¬ 
ditions are known; the mines at Trenton have a 40-foot soft shale 
roof and are exceptions to the general rule. Such a condition suggests 
that the original limestone and black shale roof was removed by 
erosion after having been deposited, and was later replaced by the 
softer shale. Absence of the limestone cap rock is indicated in some 














64 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


of the drill holes of Tps. 1 and 2 N., R. 5 W. and in the southeastern 
part of T. 2 N., R. 3 W. 

In the north part of the Germantown mine the black slate attains 
a thickness of 5 feet; whereas near the shaft only a thin parting of 
slate separates the coal from the limestone. Mine No. 9 of the 
Southern Coal, Coke, and Mining Company at New Baden has the lime¬ 
stone roof except in a limited area on the west side, where black shale 
overlies the coal. Throughout the mine about 3 inches of an irregularly 
bedded calcareous shale called “clod" directly underlies the lime¬ 
stone. 

The black shale is sheety and requires much timbering. In places 
the coal adheres to the shale, and since a clean parting lies 7 inches 
below the top of the coal, this much of the bed is left up for roof 
where separation of shale and coal is not easily made. The limestone 
roof requires no timbering. 

In the Buxton mine at Beckemeyer black shale as much as 4 feet 
in thickness and containing many niggerheads is the regular roof. In 
only a few places does the limestone come into contact with the coal. 
To protect the shale and to render mining conditions more satisfactory, 
about 18 inches of coal is left up for roof. 

About 200 feet northeast of the shaft bottom, an irregularly 
bedded, gray, calcareous shale replaced the normal roof in a small 
area which appears to have been subject to erosion subsequent to the 
deposition of the beds some distance above the coal. Part of the coal 
itself was eroded and the depressions are filled with a conglomer¬ 
ate, some of the pebbles of which are coal. Because of the uncon¬ 
solidated nature of the material, much of it falls; and in the summer 
of 1912 the top of the fall was 30 feet above the roof of the coal. 

The normal floor material is clay, which is reported in the mines 
to be from 18 inches to 8 feet thick. In most places it rests on shale, 
but in a few places a bed of limestone is reported to lie a few feet 
below the coal. The clay varies greatly in character from place to 
place and even in the same mine. Its color varies from light gray to 
almost black, depending on the amount of carbonaceous matter con¬ 
tained. In most places the clay slacks on exposure to the air, and 
where considerable moisture exists the floor materials are squeezed up 
into the rooms and entries by the pressure of the overlying strata. 

Coals below No. 6 

Despite the many holes drilled in Clinton County, the coals below 
No. 6 cannot be regarded as thoroughly prospected. Most of the holes 
were made by the churn drill and were put down in search of 


COUNTY REPORTS 


65 


petroleum; hence details regarding the coals were of minor interest to 
the operators and drillers. 

In the vicinity of Trenton a 2Ri-foot coal is reported 42 feet below 
coal No. 6 in a position corresponding to coal No. 5. Thin coals have 
been noted at a similar horizon in sec. 17, T. 1 N., R. 5 W. in secs. 
13, 29, T. 2 N., R. 3 W., and in sec. 1, T. 1 N., R. 1 W., but most 
of the logs make no note of such a coal, a fact indicating a “spotty" 
development of this bed. A recent diamond-drill hole in sec. 12, T. 1 
N., R. 1 W., shows a 3-foot 11-inch coal 110 feet below coal No. 6. 
The interval between the two appears to be too great to render safe 
the correlation of the lower bed with coal No. 5. In Saline County 
such an interval exists, but in Williamson and Franklin counties these 
coals are but 40 to 50 feet apart. Information is too meagre to cor¬ 
relate satisfactorily the 3-foot 11-inch bed in sec. 1. 

The only other bed of promising nature in the county lies from 
200 to 250 feet below coal No. 6 in proper position to be correlated 
with coal No. 2. In sec. 25, T. 2 N., R. 5 W. this bed is 485 feet 
below the surface and is reported to be 4 feet thick. It is found in 
sec. 12, T. 1 N., R. 1 W. at a depth of 642 feet and is 10 inches thicker 
than in the last hole mentioned. This is apparently the bed reported 
by the Centralia Coal Company NW. Rj NW. Rj sec. 19, T. 1 N., R. 1 
E. at a depth of 774 feet. At this place the bed reaches a thickness 
of 6 feet 11 inches. This coal is reported only in the holes mentioned, 
and its existence over most of the county is extremely doubtful. It 
probably exists in disconnected areas or pockets which in the future 
may yield considerable tonnage. It is significant that this coal is 
reported almost exclusively in diamond-drill holes, and it is possible 
that its existence has been overlooked in parts of the county tested 
only by the churn drill. 

A few thin beds are reported here and there between coals No. 2 
and No. 6, but they are not persistent and appear to be lenticular 
deposits covering small areas and are of no commercial value. 

CHRISTIAN COUNTY 
Production and Mines 

Production in tons year ending June 30, 1913. .. . 1,481,737 


Average annual production 1909 to 1913. 1,346,479 

Total production 1881 to 1913. 22,794,343 


Christian County has ranked 14 in production since 1909. Its 
output for 1913 was 2.5 per cent of that for the entire State. The 
following table shows the rank of the operating mines for 1913. 

3-B-ll 




Table 5.— List of shipping mines, Christian County, IQ13 


66 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 





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COUNTY REPORTS 


67 


All of the mines except that of the Assumption Coal and Mining 
Company operate coal No. 6. The shaft at Assumption which is the 
deepest in the State (1004 feet) hoists from beds Nos. 1 and 2. 

Coal-bearing Rocks 

Sixty logs are available for the study of the coal-bearing beds in 
C hristian County. A large number of these are diamond-drill holes 
and the resulting information presents a degree of uniformity equalled 
in but few counties of the State. The prospect holes, however, are so 
situated that a large area in the south half of the county is left 
unexplored. The same is true of the extreme northern part of the 
county but this is near the edge of the basin in which coal No. 6 is 
developed to commercial thickness and is perhaps not so promising as 
parts of the south half which will be treated under the subject “Coal 
No. 6”. 

The coal-bearing rocks of Christian County vary in thickness 
from about 800 feet in the western part to more than 900 feet along 
the eastern border, and are covered by glacial drift which ranges in 
thickness from 15 feet to almost 150 feet. It must be remembered that 
the drift was deposited upon a former land surface and that its present 
thickness depends upon its location, whether on a former hill or in 
a valley. 

In the western part of the county the Carlinville limestone forms 
the bed rock directly underlying the drift. This limestone is a promi¬ 
nent feature of the logs in that it is persistent and averages from 
5 to 10 feet in thickness. In many places it is separated by thin beds 
of shale into two or more benches. Certain logs show several beds 
of limestone in a zone about 50 feet wide occupying the general 
horizon of the Carlinville. The interval between this limestone and 
coal No. 6 in western and central Christian County is approximately 
250 feet, but increases toward the eastern boundary where it is a little 
more than 300 feet. 

In the southeastern corner of the county the New Haven limestone 
underlies the drift, the dip having carried the Carlinville 300 to 400 
feet below the surface. The New Haven limestone is reported to be 
20 to 30 feet thick, although it is possible that these figures are some¬ 
what large owing to the local cementation of the basal part of the 
drift which is likely to be included with the underlying limestone. 

The 200-foot interval between the New Haven and Carlinville 
limestone is occupied mostly by shale. Here and there one or two 
thin coals are reported, although these are not distinctive features. 
Black and gray shales also predominate in the 250 to 300-foot interval 
between the Carlinville limestone and coal No. 6. A persistent bed 


68 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


of thin coal which has been called No. 8 lies 150 to 180 feet above 
coal No. 6. Within 50 feet above the last mentioned coal a bed of 
red or pink shale is commonly noted which, although it rarely reaches 
a thickness of 10 feet, is so distinctive in color that it is useful in 
determining the position of the coal beds. This shale is present not 
only in Christian County, but also over most of southern Illinois. A 
thin bed of coals, ordinarily less than 1 foot thick, but in one place 
reported 4 feet 11 inches, commonly lies 30 feet or less above coal 
No. 6. This coal has been called No. 7. 

The usual immediate roof of coal No. 6 is black shale which varies 
in thickness from less than 1 foot to 10 feet or more. Above this 
shale, or “slate” as it is called by the miners, is the usual limestone 
cap rock which ranges in thickness from 1 to more than 20 feet and 
is almost everywhere present. 

Coal No. 6 is persistent and over most of the county is easily 
recognized. The northern part of the area is near the edge of the 
basin in which this coal was deposited to its normal thickness. Fur¬ 
thermore, the interval between coals No. 5 and No. 6 decreases towards 
the north, and the lower coal attains greater thickness, the three 
conditions combining to render identification of the coals somewhat 
difficult. Fortunately the character of the beds above coal No. 6 
remains constant and serves as an aid to correlation. Coal No. 6 
lies at a depth of about 300 feet on the western side of the county, 
and its eastward dip carries it a little more than 700 feet below the 
surface along the eastern boundary. 

Most of the drill holes have been stopped in the floor of coal 
No. 6; a few, however, penetrate the entire section of coal-bearing 
strata. Of the records mentioned the log presented on page 69 is 
typical. It shows a zone of 250 feet thick consisting of shales, a very 
small amount of sandstone, and a still smaller amount of limestone. 
Although 7 coal beds are recorded in this hole, only three are com¬ 
mercially important. A 2-foot 4-inch bed 81 feet below coal No. 6 
probably represents coal No. 5. A 2-foot 5-inch bed divided into two 
equal parts by a 3-inch layer of shale lies 156 feet below coal No. 
6 and 100 feet lower, the 2-foot 4-inch bed probably represents 
coal No. 2. Near Taylorville this horizon shows two beds 12 feet 
apart, the top bench being 3 feet 11 inches and the lower bench 3 feet 
8 inches in thickness. A lenticular bed 2 feet 5 inches thick which 
may represent coal No. 1 mined at Assumption and in the northwestern 
part of the Illinois coal field lies 27 feet below the lower bench of 
No. 2 (?). The other beds are not traceable over any considerable 
areas; and their thicknesses ranging from a few inches to only slightly 
more than one foot, class them as commercially unimportant. 


COUNTY REPORTS 


69 


Below the coal beds mentioned the strata are more sandy, as is to 
be expected in the lowermost coal-bearing rocks. The available 
records show about 200 feet of these sandy shales and sandstones. 

J 

At Palmer 220 feet of pink shales, limestone, and sandstone 
belonging to the Chester group underlie the coal-bearing rocks, and 
the Chester rests on the massive St. Louis limestone or “Big Lime” 
of the driller. In the eastern part of the county the Chester beds 
appear to be considerably thicker, but the only hole that penetrates 
this group of beds stops at 1335 feet without reaching the “Big 
Lime”. 

The following logs show the character of the underlying strata 
at Taylorville, Assumption, and Pana. 


Record of Byrd-Willey drill hole near Taylorville 
Hole—No. 13. Location—NW. cor. NW.^ SE.^ sec. 13, T. 13 N., R. 2 W. 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 

T 

Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Clav . 

14 


14 


Sand . 

8 


22 


Clay and rocks. 

11 


33 


Sand, coarse . 

7 


40 


Sand, fine . 

4 


44 


Clav and sand . 

37 


81 


Sand . 

23 


104 


Clay . 

17 


121 


Sand . 

8 


129 


Clay . 

7 


136 


Sand . 

11 


147 


Gravel . 

2 


149 


Clay, sandy. 

2 

. . 

151 


Loose boulders . 

1 

6 

152 

6 

Sandstone . 

9 

6 

162 


Shale, blue . 

3 

. • 

165 


Shale, soft, light. 

19 

. • 

184 


Limestone (Carlinville) . 

9 

6 

193 

6 

Shale, light. 

1 

• • 

194 

6 

Shale, black . 

2 

6 

197 

• • 

Shale, blue . 

15 

. • 

212 

• • 

Shale, soft, with hard lumps. 

7 


219 


Limestone and shale mixed. 

6 

. . 

225 

• • . 

Shale, light. 

3 

6 

228 

6 

Limestone . 

4 

• • 

232 

6 

Shale, black . 

1 

6 

234 


Shale, light, soft. 

6 


240 


Lime shale . 

3 

6 

243 

6 

Shale, light . 

9 

2 

252 

8 

Coal .. 


10 

253 

6 

Shale, light . 

1 

6 

255 

•• 

















































70 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Description of Strata 


Thickness Depth 


Shale, sandy . 

Sandstone . 

Shale, sandy. 

Shale, blue . 

Coal . 

Shale, soft . 

Shale, blue .;. v . 

Shale, sandy. 

Sandstone, soft, with a few shale streaks 

Shale, blue . 

Shale, tough, blue. 

Coal . 

Shale, soft . 

Shale, tough, blue. 

Shale, soft .. 

Shale, dark. 

Limestone, blue . 

Shale, soft, variegated. 

Shale, dark blue. 

Coal (No. 7). 

Shale, dark . 

Lime shale . 

Limestone . 

Limestone and shale . 

Sandstone . 

Limestone . 

Shale, black . 

Coal . 

Sulphur band . 

Coal . 

“Blue band”. No. 6 ■ 

Coal . 

Sulphur band . 

Coal . 

Light shale . 

Shale, soft . 

Limestone mixed with shale. . . . 

Shale, soft . 

Shale, light . 

Shale with sand streaks. 

Shale, gray. 

Shale, blue . 

Rock, hard blue . 

Shale, black . 

Limestone, blue . 

Shale, black . 

Coal (No. 5?). 

Shale, soft . 

Shale with sand streaks. 


Ft. 

9 

9 

9 

39 
1 
1 
4 
4 

40 
18 
29 

4 

5 
4 

2 

10 

2 


3 

4 
2 
6 
1 
6 

5 


7 

4 

7 

4 

5 

5 

6 
34 

1 

6 


2 

4 

6 


In. 


2 

3 

7 


3 

9 


6 

6 

7 

7 

10 


6 

6 

2 

4 

54 

6 

154 

7 

54 

4 

11 


6 

11 

2 

4 

1 


Ft. 

264 

273 

282 

321 

322 
324 
328 
332 
372 
390 
419 
419 
424 
429 
433 
435 
435 
446 

448 

449 

450 
453 
457 
459 
465 
467 
473 
478 

478 

479 

479 

480 

480 

481 
489 
493 
500 
504 
509 
514 
520 

554 

555 

561 

562 
562 
564 
569 
575 


In. 


2 

5 


3 

6 

7 

3 


6 

2 

6 

6y 2 

V2 

u / 4 

8H 

9 

1 


6 

5 

7 

11 






































































COUNTY REPORTS 


71 


Description of Strata 


Shale, gray. 

Shale, black . 

Coal .. 

Shale, black . 

Sandstone . 

Shale, blue . 

Shale, soft . 

Shale, dark. 

Coal . 

Shale, parting . 

Coal . 

Shale, soft . 

Sandstone . 

Sandy shale . 

Blue shale . 

Shale, black . 

Coal . 

Shale, light, sandy. 

Shale, light. 

Shale, sandy. 

Sandstone . 

Shale, blue . 

Coal, bony . 

Shale, soft . 

Shale, light . 

Shale, dark. 

Coal . 

Shale, dark . 

Shale, soft . 

Limestone . 

Coal . 

Shale, blue . 

Shale, black . 

Shale, gray . 

Shale, blue . 

Shale, dark, blue. 

Coal (No. 2?). 

Sandstone, soft . 

Shale, light. 

Shale, dark . 

Shale, blue with sandstone streaks 

Sandstone . 

Sandstone and shale mixed. 

Shale, blue with sand streaks. 

Sandstone and shale mixed. 

Sandstone . 

Shale, dark blue . 

Limestone . 


Thickness Depth 


Ft. In. 

Ft. 

In. 

17 

592 

. . 

4 

596 

, . 

1 

597 

, # 

6 

597 

6 

5 

602 

6 

26 6 

629 

. . 

7 

636 

. # 

1 

637 

. , 

1 3 

638 

3 

3 

638 

6 

1 2 

639 

8 

1 10 

641 

6 

7 

648 

6 

8 6 

657 


8 

665 

, . 

3 8 

668 

8 

1 2 

669 

10 

1 2 

671 

, , 

6 

677 

, , 

4 

681 

# , 

4 6 

685 

6 

1 

686 

6 

4 

686 

10 

3 2 

690 

. . 

2 

692 

. , 

2 5 

694 

5 

5 

694 

10 

1 2 

696 

. . 

5 

701 

, , 

2 9 

703 

9 

7 

704 

4 

15 2 

719 

6 

2 

721 

6 

4 6 

726 

• , 

2 

728 

, . 

9 3 

737 

3 

2 4 

739 

7 

17 5 

757 


3 

760 


2 

762 


36 

798 


34 

832 


15 

847 


19 

866 


23 

889 


4 

893 

* , 

27 , 

919 


31 

950 




































































72 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Record of Byrd & Taylor Hole — No. S 
Location—NE. cor. SE.J4 NE y A sec. 35, T. 13 N., R. 1. E. 


Description of Strata Thickness Depth 



Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Soil . 

9 


9 


Cement sand and gravel. 

13 


22 


( lay, blue gravelv . 

21 


43 


Sand . 

4 


47 


Clay, sandy . 

43 


90 


Sand and gravel . 

25 


115 


Shale, soft blue. 

11 

6 

126 

6 

Shale, dark . 

20 


150 

6 

Sandstone . 

21 

6 

172 

. . 

Shale, rotten, gray. 

6 

6 

178 

6 

Lime shale with pebbles . 

2 

6 

181 

. . 

Limestone . 

, . 

7 

181 

7 

Lime shale . 

8 

5 

190 

. . 

Limestone (Shoal Creek). 

10 

9 

200 

9 

Lime shale . 

, , 

3 

201 

. . 

Shale, dark . 

2 

. . 

203 

. . 

Shale, tough blue . 

13 


216 

. . 

Shale, soft clay. 

4 

, . 

220 

, , 

Limestone, shaly . 

3 

6 

223 

6 

Shale, sandy . 

32 


255 

6 

Shale, dark . 

3 


258 

6 

Shale, gray. 

11 

6 

270 

, . 

Shale, sandy . 

22 


292 

, . 

Shale, tough, blue. 

35 

6 

327 

8 

Shale, fossil . 

1 


328 

6 

Coal (No. 8?). 


6 

329 

, , 

(day shale . 

3 

. . 

332 

. , 

Lime shale . 

19 

, . 

354 


Shale, tough blue . 

62 

5 

416 

5 

Coal . 

, , 

3 

418 

8 

Clay shale . 

4 

4 

421 


Lime shale . 

8 


429 


Shale, black . 

1 


430 


Clay shale, soft . 

4 


434 


Shale, soft, red, gray. 

3 


437 


Shale, red . 

1 


438 


Limestone . 

1 

6 

439 

6 

Shale, red and blue. 

10 

# . 

449 

6 

Clay shale, soft, rotten. 

5 

6 

455 


Limestone shale mixed. 

, , 

6 

455 

6 

Clay shale, soft. 

. . 

6 

456 


Clay shale . 

6 

. , 

462 


Lime shale . 

12 


474 


Shale, sandy . 

20 

, , 

494 


Shale, blue, brown bands. 

9 


503 


Shale, tough, blue, brown band. 

17 


520 









































































COUNTY REPORTS 


73 


Description of Strata 


Thickness 


Depth 


Shale, blue, brown bands. 

Coal, shale streaks. 

Coal . 

“Blue band” shale • No. 6. 

Coal . 

Fire clay . 

Shale, gray . 

Shale, black . 

Lime shale . 

Coal, bony . 

Shale, dark . 

Shale, dark blue . 

Limestone . 

Sand and lime mixed. 

Shale, gray. 

Limestone, shaly . 

Shale, sandy . 

Shale, tough, blue.. 

Limestone . 

Shale, black . 

Coal .. 

Fire clay . 

Limestone . 

Clay shale, soft, rotten. 

Shale, gray . 

Sandstone . 

Shale, sandy . 

Shale, blue . 

Coal. 

Shale, sandy . 

Shale, tough, blue. 

Shale, black . 

Coal . 

Fire clay . 

Shale, gray . 

Shale, dark .. 

Coal . 

Shale, blue . 

Coal . 

Shale, gray. 

Sandstone . 

Shale, sandy . 

Shale, blue, brown bands. 

Coal . 

Fire clay . 

Shale, gray . 

Shale, sandy . 

Sandstone . 

Shale .. 775 


Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

13 

10 

533 

10 

# . 

6 

534 

4 

3 

214 

537 

bVi 


H 

537 

7 

2 

3 

539 

10 

1 

10 

541 

8 

7 

4 

549 

. . 

2 

, , 

551 


5 

6 

556 

6 


3 

556 

9 

. . 

3 

557 

, . 

1 

4 

558 

4 

1 

8 

560 

. # 

4 

6 

564 

6 

3 

, . 

567 

6 

8 

6 

576 

. . 

15 

. . 

591 

• • 

27 

, . 

618 

. , 

3 


621 

. . 

6 

8 

627 

8 

. . 

6 

628 

2 

1 

, , 

629 

2 


6 

629 

8 

2 

2 

631 

10 

1 


632 

10 

1 

2 

634 


18 


652 


4 


656 


2 


658 


9 


667 


25 


692 


1 

6 

693 

6 

2 

2 

695 

8 


4 

696 

. . 

6 

8 

702 

8 

2 

2 

704 

10 

. . 

1 

704 

11 

. # 

7 

705 

6 

# . 

10 

708 

4 

5 

7 

714 

. . 

4 

, # 

718 

. . 

7 

, . 

725 

• • 

16 

3 

741 

3 

1 

1 

742 

4 

8 

. . 

743 

• . 

24 

. , 

767 

. • 

4 

# # 

771 

. . 

3 

5 

774 

5 

775 

8 

• • 

3 








































































74 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Description of Strata Thickness Depth 


Coal . 


Ft. 

In. 

3 

Ft. 

775 

In. 

11 

Shale, fossiliferons . 

1 

6 

778 

5 

Coal, bony . 


# # 

3 

778 

8 

Coal . 


1 

2 

779 

10 

Shale, bine 


1 

10 

785 

. . 

Coal . 


, . 

5 

785 

5 

Shale, dark 


3 

7 

789 

• . 

Shale, sandy 


14 

8 

803 

8 

Coal 


3 

11 

807 

7 

Shale, sandy 

No. 2. 

3 

5 

811 

. • 

Sandstone 


8 

4 

819 

4 

Coal . 


3 

4 

819 

4 

Shale, sandy 


9 

3 

832 

8 

Coal . 


, . 

7 

832 

10 

Sandstone . . 


5 

2 

838 

. . 

Sandstone shale streaks. 

21 

2 

859 

2 

Coal . 


2 

5 

861 

7 

Dark shale . 


3 

5 

865 


Sandstone shale partings. 

25 


890 


Shale, sandy 


19 

. . 

909 


Shale, tough, 

blue. 

19 

. . 

928 


Shale, rotten, 

blue. 

16 

. . 

944 


Shale, gray 


3 


947 


Shale, rotten, 

blue. 

17 


964 



Shaft record of Assumption Coal Mining Co. 
Location—NW.Dt SE.^4 sec. 2, T. 12 N„ R. 1 E. 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 


Ft. In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Soil . 

1 6 

1 

6 

Subsoil . 

1 

2 

6 

Clay, yellow . 

8 

10 

6 

Clay, yellow, and sand. 

8 6 

19 

# , 

Gravel, hard, and clay. 

5 

24 

# # 

Clay, brown . 

3 

27 


“Soapstone”, soft. 

18 

45 

, # 

Coal . 

4 

45 

4 

Fire clay . 

2 

47 

4 

Limestone, blue. 


r. 5 

52 

4 

Fire clav. 


1 6 

53 

10 

Clay shale. 

New Haven 

5 6 

59 

4 

Limestone, gray. 

limestone 

6 8 

66 

• • 

Limestone, gray, and 





gray shale . 



1 

67 

, , 

Limestone, gray. 



38 

105 

, , 

Sand shale . 

52 4 

157 

4 

Clay shale . 

14 

171 

4 












































































COUNTY REPORTS 


75 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 


Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Coal . 

2 

6 

173 

10 

Fire clay . 

6 


179 

10 

Sand shale, gray. 

10 

, , 

189 

10 

Clay shale . 

22 

8 

212 

6 

Shale, blue . 

8 

# # 

220 

6 

Conglomerate lime rock. 

2 

6 

223 

. • 

“Slate”, black . 

1 

. . 

224 

. , 

Coal . 

# # 

6 

224 

6 

Fire clay . 

10 

6 

235 

. . 

Sand rock . 

40 

. . 

275 

• • 

Sand, porous, (salt water). 

14 

. . 

289 

• • 

Limestone . 

1 

6 

290 

6 

Fire clay . 

10 

. . 

300 

6 

Limestone (Carlinville or Shoal Creek?) 

9 

. . 

309 

6 

Shale, black . 

1 

6 

311 

. . 

Coal . 

. . 

6 

311 

6 

Sandstone . 

4 


315 

6 

Limestone and bowlders. 

21 


336 

6 

Sand shale, blue. 

20 


356 

• • 

Clay shale . 

2 


358 

6 

Shale, blue . 

5 


363 

6 

Coal and shale. 

2 


365 

6 

Fire clay and bowlders. 

8 


373 

6 

Sandstone ... 

15 


388 

6 

Sand rock . 

50 


438 

6 

Shale, black . 

. . 

3 

438 

9 

Coal . 

. . 

6 

439 

3 

Fire clay . 

2 


441 

3 

Limestone . 

4 


445 

3 

Sandstone . 

13 

9 

459 

• • 

Sand shale . 

52 


511 

• • 

Fire clay . 

2 


513 


“Slate”, black . 

2 


515 

• • 

Fire clay, red. 

12 

4 

527 

4 

Lime rock and fire clay. 

5 


532 

4 

Shale, chocolate . 

6 


538 

4 

Shale, blue . 

25 

6 

563 

10 

Shale, black . 

2 


565 

10 

Coal and slate . 

• • 

6 

566 

4 

Conglomerate lime and clay. 

12 


578 

4 

Limestone . 

3 


581 

4 

Sandstone . 

20 


601 

4 

Sand shale, blue. 

23 


624 

4 

Sand shale, brown. 

4 


628 

4 

Limestone . 

1 


629 

4 

Coal (No. 6?). 

1 

8 

631 


Fire clay and bowlders. 

6 

. . 

637 


Sandstone . 

10 


647 


Fire clay and rock . 

7 


654 

• • 









































































76 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Description of Strata Thickness Depth 



Ft. In, 

Ft. 

In. 

Shale, black . 

2 

656 

. . 

Coal . 

2 

656 

2 

Fire clay and rock. 

10 

666 

2 

Limestone, sandy . 

8 

674 

2 

Sandstone and sand shale. 

8 

682 

2 

Sandstone . 

10 

692 

2 

Sand shale, blue. 

21 

713 

2 

Sandstone . 

1 

714 

9 

L* 

Shale, blue . 

32 

746 

2 

Fire clay . 

6 

746 

6 

Limestone . 

6 

747 

2 

Fire clay . 

2 

749 

2 

Lime rock and fire clav. 

5 

754 

2 

Limestone . 

1 

755 

2 

Coal . 

1 

756 

2 

Fire clay . 

4 

760 

2 

Sand shale. 

22 

782 

2 

Shale, black . 

1 6 

783 

8 

Coal . 

1 6 

785 

2 

Fire clay . 

4 

785 

6 

Sand shale . 

25 

810 

6 

Shale, black . 

6 

816 

6 

Coal . 

1 

817 

6 

Fire clay . 

3 

820 

6 

Limestone . 

1 

821 

6 

Shale, black . 

5 

826 

6 

Coal . 

1 8 

828 

2 

Fire clay . 

1 

829 

2 

Limestone . 

1 4 

830 

6 

Sand shale . 

18 

848 

6 

Lime rock, sandy, and small bowlders.. 

1 6 

850 


Hard fire clay and bowlders. 

15 

865 


Sandstone . 

16 4 

881 

4 

Sand shale . 

18 2 

899 

6 

Shale, black . 

1 

900 

6 

Coal . 

2 

900 

8 

Fire clay . 

2 

902 

8 

Limestone . 

5 

907 

8 

Sand shale, blue. 

7 

914 

8 

Shale, black . 

1 

915 

8 

Coal . 

5 

916 

1 

Fire clay . 

5 6 

921 

7 

Fire clay and bowlders. 

7 6 

929 

1 

Sand shale . 

25 8 

954 

9 

Shale, black . 

5 

959 

9 

Coal 2 . 

2 2 

961 

11 

Fire clay . 

3 

962 

2 

Lime and sandstone. 

1 6 

963 

8 











































































COUNTY REPORTS 


77 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 


Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Sand shale, dark. 

14 


977 

8 

Conglomerated rock . 

1 

6 

979 

2 

Coal 2 . 

3 

6 

982 

8 


Geologic Structure 

Christian County is on the western side of the Illinois coal basin. 
Throughout the county, so far as known, the geologic structure con¬ 
sists of a uniform dip towards the southeast into the lower part of 
the basin. Near the county line west of Kincaid coal No. 6 lies 280 
feet above sea level; whereas south of Pana in the southeast corner 
of the county this bed is 70 feet below the sea or 720 feet beneath 
the surface, conditions which show an average dip of 11 feet per 
mile. 

Unfortunately a large part of the south half of the county is 
unexplored by the drill and the structure is not known. In view of 
the regularity displayed by the beds in the central part of the county, 
and along the southern border, it is believed that no pronounced 
irregularities in the dip exist anywhere in the county. Minor folds 
are known, as in sec. 19, T. 13 N., R. 2 W., from where the coal dips 
to the north and south. A small arching of the beds is shown by the 
drill holes located south of the county line in secs. 2 and 3, T. 10 N., 
R. 2 W. At the SW. cor. sec. 35, T. 11 N., R. 2 W. the coal is 76 
feet above sea level, or 35 feet higher than it is 1 mile north or south. 

Coal No. 6 

DISTRIBUTION AND THICKNESS 

Of the coal produced in Christian County, 95 per cent is mined 
from coal No. 6. The remainder comes from two beds in the lower 
part of the “Coal Measures’' at Assumption which may represent 
coals No. 1 and No. 2, or possibly the upper and lower benches of coal 
No. 2 or No. 1. Definite correlations have not been made. 

Coal No. 6 is best known in the vicinity of the present mines at 
Taylorville, Kincaid, Edinburg, and Pana. Diamond drill holes have 
proved the presence of the bed north of the south line of T. 13 N. 
and south of the north side of T. 14 N. It is commercially developed 
at Pana and the drill has shown coal No. 6 to underlie at least the 
south half of the two townships west of Pana. 

Doubtless the area in which the coal is thin or absent in Mont¬ 
gomery, Bond, and Clinton counties, extends northeast at least into the 

2 Definite correlations of these coals have not been made. They probably represent 
coals No. 1 and No. 2, but they may be the upper and lower benches of either No. 1 or 
No. 2. 














78 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


southwestern part of Christian County. One boundary of this area 
is fairly definite in the southern half of T. 11 N., R. 2 W., where 
a drill hole in the SE. cor. sec. 31, and another a quarter of a mile 
south failed to penetrate any coal at the horizon of coal No. 6. At 
Palmer, 8 miles northwest, the churn drill penetrated no coal. The 
area between has not been tested, but it is believed that it will prove 
to be unfavorable so far as coal No. 6 is concerned. The general 
direction of the barren area is northeast-southwest, but its shape in 
Christian County is extremely uncertain, owing to the scarcity of drill 
records in the possible “pockety" area. At the Assumption mine, 
sec. 2, T. 12 N., R. 1 E., only 1 foot 8 inches of coal is found at the 
horizon of coal No. 6. Absence of this coal is noted in a hole at 
Dunkel 3 miles south of Assumption. 

At Pana 6 miles further south, the coal attains a thickness of 8 
feet; therefore the south boundary of the barren area is located 
between Dunkel and Pana. Normal coal is found 6 miles west of 
Assumption and has been traced north from this point. Whether or 
not the area of thin coal No. 6 is in the vicinity of Assumption is 
part of the area referred to above is not determined, but it is believed 
that the two are connected. Even if this is true, there seems no doubt 
that a considerable body of good coal exists outside the borders of the 
area. In Christian County T. 12 N., Rs. 3 and 4 W. offers favorable 
territory for the drill. North and west of this area coal No. 6 appears 
to be developed to its normal thickness and it is believed that by drilling 
first in the northwest and later towards the southeast, the possible 
“spotty" territory, a considerable acreage of commercial coal may be 
found. 

The extreme northern part of the county in Tps. 15 and 16 
N. Rs. 1, 2, and 3 W. has not been explored by the drill. This is near 
the line north of which No. 6 is too thin to be commercial. The border 
is not a definite line, but rather a zone several miles in width, in which 
coal No. 6 is developed to normal thickness in one place and deposited 
nearby to a thickness of but a foot or two. At Mechanicsburg a few 
miles north of the county line where coal No. 6 was mined formerly, 
the coal was about 6 feet thick at the shaft, but thinned to 2 inches 
in a distance of 800 feet north. At Chatham, 8 miles southwest of 
Springfield, coal No. 6 is between 5 and 6 feet thick. Future prospect¬ 
ing will probably show that considerable acreage of coal No. 6 exists 
in Tps. 15 and 16 N., Christian County, but drill holes must be placed 
closer to each other than is customary in the Illinois fields, in order 
to secure correct knowledge of the area. 

In T. 13 N., R. 1 E., 1, 2, and 3 W. coal No. 6 averages 7 feet in 
21 drill holes and mines distributed over the area. The tier of townships 


COUNTY REPORTS 


79 


to the north is underlain by coal No. 6 ranging from 4 feet 3 inches to 
7 feet 8 inches, the average being 5 feet 11 inches in 13 measurements. 
At Pana in the southeast corner of the county the coal varies in thick¬ 
ness from 7 to 8 feet; and the same figures represent its thickness 
in the drill holes indicated on the map in T. 11 N., R. 1 and 2 W. 

Sections measured at the face in 7 mines now operating or for¬ 
merly active show coal No. 6 including all bands to vary in thickness 
from 80 to 109 inches. 

« 

PHYSICAL CHARACTER OF COAL NO. 6 

The so-called “blue band” is the most persistent of the impurities 
in the bed and occupies a position 10 to 20 inches above the floor. 
This layer is variable in thickness and character. It is generally not 
less than 1 inch thick, and in places a double band occurs at this 
horizon, each part ranging from inch to 3 inches, the two being 
separated by about 2 inches of coal. 

Pyrite bands are present especially in the middle bench. They 
are in most places less than 1 inch thick, and can be excluded by 
reasonable care in mining. This is not true, of course, with the 
sulphides which are disseminated throughout the coal mass. 

As a whole, the bed shows a dull lustre. At Taylorville the bottom 
bench contains the hardest, brightest coal and breaks up into cubical 
blocks. It is customary to mine the entire bed and to make use of the 
shale and rock roof rather than to leave the top coal as is done in parts 
of southern Illinois. Figure 9 shows graphically the characteristics 
of coal No. 6 in Christian County. 

The bed is not afifected by any major irregularities in the mines 
thus far exploited. A few small faults having a throw of only a foot 
or two were noted at Stonington, but as a rule conditions are uniform. 

ROOF AND FLOOR 

The regular roof of coal No. 6 in Christian County is a black shale 
overlain by a limestone which ranges in thickness from 1 foot to more 
than 20 feet. The black, laminated shale below the limestone is 
reported as thick as 8 feet in the mines of the county. In places the 
shale is absent, and the limestone immediately overlies the coal and 
forms an excellent roof which requires much less timbering than does 
the more easily broken shale. Here and there 3 or 4 inches of loosely 
consolidated, lighter-colored shale, called “clod” by the miner, rests on 
the coal, and must be “drawn” when the coal is removed. 

The floor is generally clay of variable thickness. From 4 to 6 
feet of this material is not uncommon and more is reported in some 
of the mines. Its thickness is somewhat uncertain owing to the few 


80 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


LEGEND 

FEET 
6 , 

3 


M/2 BB 

13 I 

Fig. 9. —Graphic sections of coal No. 6 from measurements made in mines 
of Christian County. 

1. Stonington Coal Co., Stonington. Room 4, 4th NW. off main entry. 

2. C. W. Vanderver, Edinburg. 1st S. off main west entry. 

3. Penwell Coal Co., No. 1, Pana. Room 1, straight N., main east entry. 

places in which it is penetrated in mining. It is commonly underlain 
by dark-gray or light-colored shales, and in places thin limestones lie 
a short distance below the clay, although they are more or less impure 
and can not be traced throughout the county. 

In one of the mines at Pana, the floor squeezes where the roof is 
hardest, and as a result the lower part of the coal bed is fractured. 

Coals below No. 6 

The coals below No. 6 are lenticular and hence less easily trace¬ 
able. Moreover, the interval between the beds, especially between coals 
No. 5 and 6, varies considerably in short distances, thus adding to the 
difficulty of correlation. For example, the interval between coal No. 6 
and the next lower important coal varies from 20 feet in the vicinity 
of sec. 34, T. 14 N., R. 2 W. to about 75 feet in sec. 13, T. 13 N., 
R. 2 W. The lower bed ranges in thickness from 1 foot to 5 feet and 
averages 3^4 feet in 8 diamond drill holes in the townships mentioned. 




























COUNTY REPORTS 


81 


It is probable that it should be called coal No. 5 since the larger 
interval is not uncommon in the counties south of Christian, and the 
smaller one is well known to the north as in the mine at Mechanicsburg. 
Even at Springfield the average interval between coals No. 5 and No. 6 
is but 39 feet. This bed tends to become thicker towards the north, 
and in secs. 13, 22, 32, and 34, T. 14 N., R. 2 W. coals No. 5 and No. 6 
are of about equal importance. In a majority of the holes the roof 
of coal No. 5 is composed of a few feet of black shale capped by a 
thin limestone, this succession of beds being the normal one in the 
Springfield district where coal No. 5 is mined. Near Edinburg and 
Sharps the cap rock is absent. 

Only a few holes have been drilled through the lowest bed of the 
“Coal Measures”, and it is possible to draw only general conclusions 
regarding the distribution of the earlier coals. Three main horizons 
appear to exist below coal No. 5. Owing to the lenticular nature of 
the coal it is not believed that all three horizons contain commercial 
coals throughout the county. In places a bed of coal separated into 
2 benches by shale varying from a few inches to 6 or 8 feet in thickness, 
is reported to lie 70 feet below coal No. 5. The aggregate thickness 
of the coal is reported to reach as much as 5 feet, although neither 
bench is known to be more than 2 feet 10 inches. 

About 250 feet below coal No. 6 is an horizon which should be 
tested in any attempt to explore the coal resources of the county. This 
coal occupies the general position of coal No. 2 and may have been 
deposited contemporaneously with the Murphysboro bed. Some coal 
generally exists at this horizon but the determination of its thickness 
and character must be left to the drill. In places it exists as a single 
bed ; whereas in others it is separated into two benches by a variable 
amount of shale or sandstone. A combined thickness of 6 feet is not 
unknown. 

About 36 feet below the lower bench of the coal mentioned above, 
there is developed in places a bed known as coal No. 1, probably equiva¬ 
lent to at least one of the beds mined at Assumption. In sec. 35, 
T. 13 N., R. 1 W. a 2-foot 5-inch coal lies 318 feet below coal No. 6 
and probably corresponds in position to the upper bed at Assumption. 
Three typical logs are graphically compared in figure 10. 

The lenticular character of the coal beds in the lower part of the 
“Coal Measures” renders predictions unsafe, but the existence of coals 
that may prove to be commercial, as at Assumption, is highly probable. 
With this in mind it seems reasonable to suggest that in drilling, most 
of the holes should be extended at least through the horizon of coal 
No. 5 which in most places is not more than 70 feet below coal No. 6. 


82 


No. 1 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 



Fig. 10.—Graphic sections of drill holes in Christian County. 

1. Shaft at Assumption. 

2. Byrd & Taylor, hole No. 8 in SE.J4 NE.^ sec. 35, T. 13 N., R. 1 W 

3. Byrd & Taylor, hole No. 13 in NW.^ SE.% sec. 13, T. 13 N., R. 1 W 


















































































































































































COUNTY REPORTS 


83 


A few holes should be continued from 250 to 300 feet below coal 
No. 6 in order to test all of the possibilities of the area. 

Coal No. 7 

About 30 feet above coal No. 6 is a bed which rarely attains a 
thickness of more than a few inches. Earlier in this report it has 
been designated as coal No. 7. Diamond-drill records in the south¬ 
western part of T. 14 N., R. 2 W. seem to indicate a somewhat 
abnormal development of this bed to a thickness which, if affecting a 
considerable area, might lend to it commercial value. Records show 
thicknesses ranging from 3 feet to 4 feet 11 inches, but it is believed 
that such a development of coal No. 7 is restricted to a small area 
and is not to be expected outside. 

FAYETTE COUNTY 
Production 

No coal production is reported from Fayette County. In 1874 
a shaft at Vandalia was sunk to a depth of 377 feet, and from the 
bottom of the shaft a hole was drilled to a depth of 574 feet without 
finding a workable coal bed. From data at hand, it appears that the 
hole was continued just far enough to reach the horizon of coal No. 6, 
and that this bed is absent at this point. 

A few of the thin coals in the upper “Coal Measures” outcrop 
at several places in the county east of a general north-south line 
through the middle of R. 2 E. Here and there one of these lenticular 
beds attains a thickness of 2 feet, and formerly coal was mined for 
local consumption at a number of places in the county. 3 

Coal No. 6 is mined north of the county at Pana, south at Cen- 
tralia, and west in Montgomery County. Prospecting has been 
extended into Fayette County eastward, and doubtless shafts will be 
sunk there in the future, especially after the more easily accessible 
coal has been extracted. 

Coal-bearing Rocks 

The coal-bearing beds of Fayette County have been explored by 
about 20 drill holes and by the shaft mentioned above. About half 
of the holes were discontinued in the fire clay underlying coal No. 6, 
a few penetrate the lower coals, and two put down in search of 
petroleum reach depths of 2825 and 2960 feet. All except 2 of the 
holes of which the records are available for study, are located in the 
two west tiers of townships. The well of the Producers Oil Company 


■Ill. Geol. Survey, vol. 6, p. 143, 1875. 



84 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


in the NE. >4 NW. >4 sec. 22, T. 9 N., R. 1 W. shows 1140 feet of 
coal-bearing rocks. Their nature is best known above coal No. 6 
which lies from 490 feet beneath the surface in sec. 4, T. 6 N., 
R. 1 W. to about 730 feet near Farina in T. 5 N., R. 5 W. 

These beds are overlain by the glacial drift which varies in thick¬ 
ness from 30 or 40 feet to about 150 feet. Where erosion prior to 
the deposition of the drift did not cut down too deeply, a thick lime¬ 
stone is found a short distance below the drift. This limestone 
occupies the position of the New Haven which has been described 
previously. Where the limestone is present, it forms in most places 
a conspicuous bed which in places attains a thickness of 25 feet, 
although its average is considerably less. From 200 to 250 feet below 
the New Haven is the Carlinville limestone which can be recognized 
in most of the holes. 

A few thin coals lie between the two limestones mentioned but 
they are lenticular and unimportant. Shales and a few minor beds 
of sandstone constitute the interval. Between the Carlinville lime 
and coal No. 6 which lies about 310 feet below, the records show a 
larger amount of sandstone than is common in this part of Illinois. 
Several logs show a thick bed of sandstone including beds of shales 
or limestones about half way between the Carlinville limestone and 
coal No. 6. 

The thin bed of coal which is generally found about 180 feet 
above coal No. 6 is not reported in the holes of Fayette County. Coal 
No. 7 which is shown in most of the holes lies from 20 to 30 feet above 
No. 6 and appears to be thicker here than in the counties to the west. 
Half of the logs record this bed and show a thickness ranging from 
a few inches to 2 feet 7 inches, the average being 2 feet where the 
bed is present. 

Most of the records show the usual limestone cap rock above coal 
No. 6 with a thin intervening bed of black shale, but holes in sec. 22, 
T. 9 N., R. 1 W.; sec. 15, T. 6 N., R. 1 E.; and sec. 24, T. 6 N., R. 2 E., 
show only a shale roof, the limestone probably having been eroded 
subsequent to deposition. 

Nine churn-drill holes penetrate the lower part of the “Coal 
Measures”, but the logs are unsatisfactory. As much as 550 feet of 
coal-bearing rocks are known below coal No. 6, but aside from the 
fact that more sandy beds exist near the base and a few coal beds 
are noted, little definite information is available. 

The following logs are typical of the coal-bearing strata in 
Fayette County. 


COUNTY REPORTS 


85 


Drill record of E. S. Peabody hole 
Location—NE.^ SW.^ sec. 16, T. 8 N., R. 1 E. 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 


Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Soil . 

1 


1 


Clay . 

11 


12 


“Hardpan” . 

15 


27 


Sand . 

14 


41 


Clay, yellow . 

12 


53 


Bowlders . 

1 


54 


Clay and gravel. 

4 


58 


Clay, yellow . 

5 


63 


Sand . 

3 


66 


Clay . 

9 


75 


Clay and gravel. 

9 


84 


Limestone, broken . 

14 


98 


Limestone, hard, blue (New Haven).... 

9 


107 


Sand shale . 

3 


110 


Sandstone . 

2 


112 


Sand shale . 

7 


119 


Sandstone . 

1 

6 

120 

6 

Sand shale . 

21 

6 

142 


Sandstone . 

1 


143 


Sand shale . 

9 


152 


Sandstone . 

2 


154 


Sand shale . 

12 


166 


Shale, soapv, lime spots. 

4 


170 


Shale, dark, soapy. 

1 

6 

171 

6 

Coal . 

. , 

6 

172 


Fire clav, soft . 

6 

6 

178 

6 

Sandy shale . 

22 

6 

201 


Shale, dark, soapy. 

28 

6 

229 

6 

Shale, dark, limy. 

1 

6 

231 


“Slate”, black . 

2 


233 


Coal . 

1 


234 


Fire clay . 

6 


240 


Shale, blue . 

2 


242 


Sand shale, lime spots. 

11 


253 


Limestone . 

. • 

8 

253 

8 

Sand shale . 

6 

4 

260 


Shale, soapv . 

20 

. • 

280 


Sand shale, lime band. 

15 

. . 

295 


Shale, soapv . 

10 

. • 

305 


Lime shale . 

3 

6 

308 

6 

Shale, soapy . 

1 

2 

309 

8 

Coal . 

• • 

4 

310 

• • 

Fire clay . 

3 

9 

313 

• • 

Shale, soapy . 

13 

3 

327 

• • 

Lime shale . 

2 

. . 

329 

• • 

Sand shale . 

3 

• • 

332 

• « 

Sandy shale . 

21 


353 

• • 















































































86 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 

Limestone (Shoal Creek?). 

Ft. 

5 

In. 

Ft. 

358 

In. 

Shale, tough, blue. 

1 

• • 

359 

. . 

’’Slate”, black . 

4 

6 

363 

6 

Chert . 

. . 

6 

364 

. . 

Sand shale . 

13 

4 

377 

4 

Shale, soapy . 

6 

. . 

383 

4 

Shale, soapy, hard sand partings. 

4 

6 

387 

10 

Sand shale, hard. 

8 

8 

396 

6 

Shale, tough, dark. 

17 

6 

414 

. . 

Shale and bands, soapy. 

6 

7 

420 

7 

Sand shale . 

9 

5 

430 


Shale, dark, sand bands. 

11 

• . 

441 


Shale, dark . 

6 


447 

. . 

Sandstone, hard . 

3 


450 


Sand shale . 

9 


459 


Sandstone, hard . 

2 


461 


Sand shale . 

7 


468 


Sand shale, hard. 

26 


494 


Sandstone . 

1 


495 


Sand shale, hard. 

9 


504 


Sand shale, hard. 

24 


528 


Sandstone . 

1 


529 


Sand shale . 

2 


531 


Sandstone . 

49 


580 


Lime shale, sandy. 

1 

6 

581 

6 

Shale, tough, dark. 

2 

t . 

583 

6 

Shale, sandy . 

10 

6 

594 


Shale, tough, dark. 

25 

6 

619 

6 

Shale, red . 

1 

6 

621 


Sand shale, hard. 

5 


626 


Shale, red . 

2 


628 


Shale, dark . 

3 


631 


Lime shale, hard, sandy. 

9 

6 

640 

6 

Shale, dark, tough. 

2 

5 

643 


Shale, dark . 

1 


644 


Chert . 


10 

644 

10 

Shale, dark, tough. 

7 

2 

652 


Shale, soapy . 

3 

, , 

655 


Shale, soft, black. 

2 

6 

657 

6 

Limestone, hard . 


6 

658 


Shale, soft, black. 

, # 

6 

658 

6 

Lime shale, hard. 

1 

6 

660 


Shale, dark . 

1 

# # 

661 


Shale, soapy . 

4 

11 

665 

11 

Coal . 

• • 

8 

666 

7 

Slate . 

. . 

3 

666 

10 

Coal . 


2 

667 


Slate, limy . i. 


5 

667 

5 

Slate, black . 

2 

7 

670 













































































COUNTY REPORTS 


87 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 


Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Coal (No. 6). 

6 

7 

676 

7 

Sandstone . 

6 

11 

683 

6 

Sandstone shale partings. 

4 

6 

688 


Shale, soapy . 

5 


693 


Sandstone, limy . 

3 

10 

696 

10 

Slate, black . 

1 

2 

698 


Coal (No. 5?). 

4 


702 


Fire clay, soft . 

2 


704 


Shale, hard, blue. 

2 


706 

• • 


Geologic Structure 

A small number of holes in the county renders a determination 
of detailed structure impossible. The strike of the beds in the western 
part of the county is almost north-south and the dip is eastward into 
the Illinois coal basin. The only holes in the eastern part of the 
county, one in sec. 24. T. 6 N., R. 2 E., and the other in sec. 32. 
T. 5 N., R. 4 E. show coal No. 6 at 40 and 140 feet below sea level, 
respectively. In the latter hole at Farina the coal is 130 feet higher 
than at Kinmundy, six miles southwest. It is possible that the 
deepest part of the basin is not regular in shape, but that a syncline 
having a north-south axis connecting with the main basin at the south 
extends through the eastern part of Marion County and into the 
southern part of Fayette County. That this syncline does not extend 
through Fayette County is shown by the position of coal No. 6 in sec. 
24, T. 6 N., R. 2 E., where it stands higher than at Vandalia, 10 miles 
west. 


Coal No. 6 

DISTRIBUTION AND THICKNESS 

Coal No. 6 , which ranges in depth from 490 feet in sec. 4, T. 6 N., 
R. 1 W. to 720 feet at Farina in the southeast corner of the county, 
is commercially the most important bed. Its presence has been demon¬ 
strated throughout the greater part of the western half of the county, 
although its thickness is not in all places sufficient to encourage mining. 
The northwest quarter of the county has been better explored by the 
drill than have the remaining areas, and in this quarter, comprising 
Tps. 7, 8 , and 9 N., Rs. 1 E. and 1 W., coal No. 6 averages 6^2 feet 
in thickness. In the vicinity of Vandalia this coal appears to be thin 
or absent. To the north in sec. 16, T. 7 N., R. 1 E. no coal is reported 
at this horizon, and it is possible that a considerable area in this part 
of the county will prove to be barren of coal No. 6 in commercial 
























88 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


thickness, blit any attempt to outline such an area with the meagre 
information available would be futile. 

A churn-drill hole in sec. 24, T. 6 N., R. 2 E. 10 miles east of 
Vandalia reports 7 feet of coal No. 6; at Farina in the southeast 
corner of the county the same bed is said to be 6 feet thick. The 
fact that in the southeastern part of Bond County and in the northern 
part of Marion County the coal is below normal thickness, lends 
support to the belief that this bed will show similar characteristics 
in southern and s ;uthwestern Fayette County, although the drill alone 
will determine the facts. 


ROOF AND FLOOR 

Knowledge of the characteristics of roof and floor is limited to 
drillings and is necessarily unsatisfactory in comparison with exam¬ 
inations in the mine. A limestone cap rock is present over most of 
the prospected area, but in sec. 22, T. 9 N., R. 1 W.; sec. 15, T. 6 N., 
R. 1 E.; and in sec. 24, T. 6 N., R. 2 E. only shale is found over the 
coal, the limestone probably having been eroded after deposition. In 
places the cap rock is reported to lie in contact with the coal, but 
generally a few feet of black shale intervene as is usual in the Belle¬ 
ville district. In practically every hole the material under the coal 
is reported as clay or shale. 

Coals below No. 6 

The coals below coal No. 6 in part of Fayette County appear to be 
extremely lenticular. The diamond-drill hole in NE. % SW. J4 sec. 
16, T. 8 N., R. 1 E. shows a 4-foot coal 28 feet below the top of coal 
No. 6. The interval here appears to be too small for No. 5, but such 
a figure would not be unusual farther north in Christian County. No 
coal is found in a similar position in any of the other Fayette County 
logs. A 1-foot bed is noted in sec. 15, T. 6 N., R. 1 E. 85 feet below 
coal No. 6, and 45 feet lower is another bed said to be 5 feet thick. 
A hole drilled in the same section by another company shows the same 
coal horizons, but the log reverses the thicknesses of the two lower 
coals, and it is thought that the records are not reliable as to the coal. 
Three records show coal ranging in thickness from 1 to 5 feet about 
250 feet below coal No. 6; whereas other holes passing through 
the same horizon fail to penetrate any coal. The data available do 
not permit a safe conjecture as to the existence of a coal below No. 6 
which might be commercially developed in the future. 


COUNTY REPORTS 


89 


MACOUPIN COUNTY 
Production and Mines 

Production in tons, year ended June 30, 1913. . . . 5,208,682 


Average annual production 1908 to 1913. 4,504,632 

Total production 1881 to 1913. 73,459,119 


1 he 15 mines of Macoupin County produced 8.6 per cent of the 
total output for the State in 1913. Four of these mines: Superior 
Coal Company Nos. 1, 2, and 3 at Gillespie, and Consolidated Coal 
Company No. 14 at Staunton, averaged more than 3000 tons per day. 

1 able 6 is a list of the shipping mines and data concerning them. 
The production is for the year ended June 30, 1913. 

Coal-bearing Rocks 

The character of the coal-bearing beds is best known in the 
eastern half of the area where about 100 holes and shafts have been 
sunk at least as deep as coal No. 6, which lies 300 to 400 feet below 
the surface in this part of the county. The beds rise gently towards 
the west, and coal No. 6 reaches the surface near the western border. 
It outcrops and was formerly mined in the bluffs of Hodges Creek 
in sec. 29, T. 10 N., R. 9 W. Coal No. 5, about 50 feet below coal 
No. 6, is said to be visible at this place during low water. No accurate 
measurements have been made, but its thickness is reported to be about 

2 feet. 

The “Coal Measures'’ are thinnest along the western boundary 
of the county, where about 300 feet of strata overlie the Mississippian 
limestones. From 5 to 10 miles farther west in Greene and Jersey 
counties, the lowermost coal-bearing rocks appear at the surface. At 
Carlinville more than 500 feet of these beds are known, and at the 
extreme eastern side of the county they attain a thickness of about 
700 feet. 

The surface deposits range in thickness from 20 to 200 feet or 
more showing a former relief even greater than that of the present. 

The Carlinville limestone 220 to 250 feet above Coal No. 6 
reaches its western limit a short distance west of the town of the same 
name, and its outcrop can be traced southeast toward Staunton and 
into the southern counties. This limestone outcrops in many of the 
streams near Carlinville and may be recognized without difficulty. It 
forms the bed rock over an extensive area in this part of the State 
and lies immediately under the glacial drift. Although its average 
thickness is but 9 feet, its persistency lends to it considerable usefulness 
in the proper correlation of beds. In the eastern part of the county 
this limestone is found as far as 150 feet below the surface. 




able 6.— List of shipping mines, Macoupin County, 1913 


90 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


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COUNTY REPORTS 


91 


A few thin coals lie between the Carlinville limestone and coal 
No. 6 below, but they do not appear to be so persistent as in Christian 
County. However, the discovery of the persistent nature in the latter 
area may be due to the use of the diamond drill. A few inches of 
coal No. 7 is generally found as usual about 30 feet above coal No. 6. 
In many places it has a limestone roof whose thickness is regularly 
less than that of coal No. 6. A few logs show a 2-foot coal about 
150 feet above coal No. 6. This bed is probably to be correlated with 
coal No. 8 which has been described in other counties, but its lack 
of persistency in Macoupin County renders it almost useless in cor¬ 
relation. 

Coal No. 6 and its limestone cap rock are the most widely devel¬ 
oped in the county. In but few holes is one or the other absent. In 
the Griffell well, NW. y A SE. J4 sec. 15, T. 9 N., R. 7 W., the absence 
of both is due to pre-glacial erosion which extended to a depth of 
235 feet. 

Underlying coal No. 6 are 300 to 500 feet of coal-bearing rocks, 
but little is known of their nature except that they consist largely of 
shales, a few sandy beds especially in the lower parts, and lenticular 
beds of coal. The deeper holes were drilled in search of oil, and little 
attention was given to the lower coals. Coal No. 5 was noted by 
Worthen in a few outcrops along the western side of the county where 
it is 30 to 40 feet below coal No. 6. In the logs available for study 
its absence is conspicuous. Scattered records show a thin coal from 
80 to 100 feet below coal No. 6, which may represent coal No. 5, but 
the interval appears to be too large for such a correlation. From 200 
to 250 feet below coal No. 6 in the general position of coal No. 2, 
a few records show from 3 to 4 feet of coal. This, the lowest bed 
in the county, is but a short distance above the thick Mississippian 
limestones upon which the “Coal Measures” lie. 

The following logs represent typical borings in various parts of 
the county: 


Well record submitted by Titos. Rinaker 
Farm—Dews 

Location—NE. cor. NW.H NW.H sec. 2, T. 9 N., R. 9 W. 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 

Pennsylvanian Strata 

Feet 

Feet 

Clay, yellow . 

. 65 

65 

Mud, white . 

. 41 

106 

Quick sand and gravel. 

. 4 

110 

Mud, yellow . 

. 10 

120 

Lime (good flow fresh water). 

. 8 

128 

“Slate” white . 

22 

150 








92 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Description of Strata 

Coal (No. 6). 

“Slate”, white . 

“Slate”, brown . 

Mud, white . 

Sand, black (?). 

“Slate”, white . 

“Slate”, brown . 

Coal . 

Slate”, brown . 

Mud, white . 

“Slate”, white . 

Sand, broken, dark. 

Sand, white . 

Mississippian strata (upper beds)- 

Lime, sandy . 

Mud, white . 

Limestone (brackish water) 

“Slate”, black . 

Lime, dark . 


Description of Strata 

Top soil . 

Quick sand and gravel. .. 

Blue gumbo clay. 

“Slate”, white . 

“Slate”, black . 

Lime, white . 

“Slate”, white . 

Lime, white . 

“Slate”, white . 

Limestone and slate. 

“Slate”, black . 

Limestone, gray . 

“Slate”, white . 

Coal (No. 6). 

“Slate”, white . 

“Shale”, brown . 

“Slate”, white . 

Shale, brown . 

“Slate”, white . 

“Slate”, black . 

“Slate”, white . 

Limestone shells . 

“Slate”, white . 

“Slate”, black . 

“Slate”, white . 


Thickness 

Depth 

Feet 

Feet 

4 

154 

11 

165 

10 

175 

35 

210 

20 

230 

15 

245 

15 

260 

4 

264 

4 

268 

5 

273 

7 

280 

20 

300 

10 

310 

10 

320 

10 

330 

00 

530 

10 

540 

10^4 

550^ 

>loration Co. 


R. 7 W. 


Thickness 

Depth 

Feet 

Feet 

30 

30 

25 

55 

25 

80 

50 

130 

5 

135 

3 

138 

12 

150 

5 

155 

5 

160 

5 

165 

2 

167 

1 

168 

4 

172 

5 

177 

73 

250 

20 

270 

10 

280 

5 

285 

15 

300 

13 

313 

6 

319 

6 

325 

21 

346 

10 

356 

12 

368 













































COUNTY REPORTS 93 

Description of Strata— Thickness Depth 

Feet Feet 

Shale, black, and coal. 2 370 

“Slate”, white . 5 375 

Shale, black . 12 387 

“Slate”, black (show of oil 392 to 410 feet). 2 389 

Sand (oil 417). 24 413 

Salt water (421). 37 450 


Record of F. S. Peabody hole 
Farm and hole—Davis No. 7 
Location—NW.^ NW y A sec. 11, T. 10 N. R. 6 W. 


Description of Strata 


Soil . 

Clay, yellow . 

“Hardpan” . 

Clay, yellow r . 

“Hardpan” and gravel. 

Clay, blue . 

Gravel . 

Limestone, broken (Carlinville) 

“Slate”, black . 

Shale, soft, soapy. 

Limestone . 

Lime shale . 

Shale, soft, soapy. 

Lime shale . 

Slate, black . 

Coal . 

Fire clay . 

Lime shale . 

Sand shale, hard bands. 

Shale, tough, lime bands. 

Limestone . 

Slate, black . 

Lime shale . 

Sandstone . 

Shale, gray .. 

Coal . 

Fire clay . 

Lime shale . 

Sand shale . 

Shale, tough, gray . 

Slate, hard, gray. 

Shale, soft, dark. 

Clay shale, soft. 

Sand shale . 

Sand shale, hard. 

Slate, black . 


Thickness 


Depth 


Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

2 


2 


14 


16 


2 


18 


20 


38 


10 


48 


26 


74 


3 


77 


11 

6 

88 

6 

8 

6 

97 


9 

, # 

106 


1 

6 

107 

6 

1 

6 

109 

. • 

9 

6 

118 

6 

2 

. , 

120 

6 

2 

6 

123 

v . 


8 

123 

8 

6 

4 

129 


7 

, . 

136 


9 


145 


11 


156 


4 

. , 

160 



6 

160 

6 

1 

, , 

161 

6 

1 

6 

163 

• . 

26 

10 

189 

10 


9 

190 

7 

2 

5 

193 


6 


199 


41 


240 


14 


254 


11 


265 


4 


269 


3 


272 


6 


278 


19 

6 

297 

6 

2 

3 

299 

9 


































































94 


COAL MINI NO INVESTIGATIONS 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 


Ft. 

In. 

Ft 

In. 

Coal . 

1 

. . 

300 

9 

Fire clay . 

3 

3 

304 


Sand shale . 

8 


312 


Shale, soft, bine. 

3 


315 


Limestone . 

6 


321 


Shale, soft . 

1 


322 


Clay shale . 

1 


323 


Slate, black . 

2 

3 

325 

3 

Coal . 

. . 

3 

325 

6 

Clay shale . 

7 

4 

332 

10 

Limestone . 

5 

10 

338 

8 

Clay shale . 

1 

. . 

339 

8 

Limestone . 

8 

10 

OO 

■'T 

6 

Slate, black . 

1 

• . 

349 

6 

Coal (No. 6). 

5 

8 

355 

2 

Fire clav . 


10 

356 



Geologic Structure 

The lowest beds that outcrop in Macoupin County are near coal 
No. 6, which reaches the surface in the extreme western part at an 
altitude of about 600 feet above sea level. The glacial drift covers 
most of the surface and the outcrops are confined to the stream chan¬ 
nels that have been cut into the bed rock. 

All the beds dip eastward at the rate of about 14 feet per mile. 
Data are too meagre in the western half of the county to permit the 
drawing of detailed structure contours. In the eastern half of the 
area, although the general dip is eastward in places slight modifications 
and even reversals of this dip have been noted. In secs. 7 and 8, 
T. 9 N., R. 7 W. the beds occupy the position of a small dome, the 
center of the arch being about 50 feet higher than the surrounding 
areas. This structural feature has proved to be of some economic 
importance, because of its effect on the accumulation of oil and gas. 
For details regarding the Carlinville dome, the reader is referred to 
Extracts from Bulletin 20. 4 The 50-foot contour interval used on the 
large map in the present report, is too large to show properly the 
shape of the dome. 

The doming of the strata two miles northwest of Staunton is 
another variation in the general eastward dip. Inside of the closed 
contour shown on the map the coal is from 20 to 30 feet higher than 
in the surrounding area. This Staunton dome has not been tested by 
holes sufficiently deep to reach the Pottsville beds which produce some 
oil at Carlinville. 

4 Kay, Fred II., The Carlinville Oil and Gas Field: Ill. State Geol. Survey, Extracts 
Bull. 20, p. 38, 1912. 


































COUNTY REPORTS 


95 


No large faults are known in the county. Here and there in the 
mines a small slip is noted, but the beds appear to be free from 
troublesome displacements. 


Coal No. 6 

DISTRIBUTION AND THICKNESS 

Coal No. 6 underlies practically the entire county. A small area 
in the northwest is probably beyond the outcrop, and it is also likely 
that in the shallow area in the western half of the county the coal 
has been eroded by streams which were active on the old surface 
before glacial times. A hole in sec. 1, T. 9 N., R. 9 W., probably passed 
through such an ancient channel; whereas another hole one and one 
quarter miles northwest of the former shows coal No. 6 although it is 
somewhat thinner than normal. Beside the absence of the coal due to 
erosion immediately preceding glacial times, other irregularities are 
known to be the result of channels which existed during, or shortly 
after, coal deposition. The GrifFell well mentioned above is an 
example of the former type in which glacial drift extends downward 
below the horizon of coal No. 6; whereas other wells showing no coal 
contain a considerable thickness of sedimentary rocks above the posi¬ 
tion of the coal. This is true especially in the vicinity of the Carlinville 
oil field. In this general locality a drainage channel probably existed 
shortly after the coal was deposited. The V. Hall well No. 5 and 
McClure wells Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 6 in the central part of sec. 8, T. 9 N., 
R. 7 W., show no coal; whereas V. Hall well No. 3, SW. Nt SE. Y\ 
NW. Y sec. 8 penetrates 5 feet of coal No. 6. From the information 
at hand it is not possible to outline the course or extent of the ancient 
channels. To the north and south uniformly thick coal is found, 
although but little prospecting has been done between the area under¬ 
lain by thin coal southwest of Carlinville and the similar area in 
western Montgomery County to the east. It is possible that the two 
are connected and that on the map the western border of the barren 
area in Montgomery County should by the westward extension of the 
line be made irregular to include the area described in Macoupin 
County. 

In the eastern half of the county excluding the area mentioned 
above the coal averages 7 feet in thickness, the maximum being about 
9 feet. At Bunker Hill, sec. 14, T. 7 N., R. 8 W., and at Chesterfield, 
sec. 2, T. 9 N., R. 9 W., the same coal averages 5 to S l / 2 feet and the 
few prospect holes in this part of the county seem to indicate that the 
coal is somewhat thinner near the edge of its area of deposition. It is 
commercially important, however, and will be mined when the thicker 
coal to the east has been extracted. 


96 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Present prospecting and mining are dependent largely upon the 
location of the principal transportation lines, and future roads will no 
doubt cause the exploitation of valuable coal resources west of the 
present mines. 


1 



Fig. 11.—Graphic sections of coal No. 6 from measurements made in 
mines of Macoupin County. 

1. Superior Coal Co., No. 3, Gillespie. Face main east, 4700 feet from 

shaft. 

2. Carlinville Coal Co., Carlinville. Main south face, 5000 feet from 
shaft. 

3. Consolidated Coal Co., No. 15, Mt. Olive. Room 20, off 3rd east, north. 

4. Glenridge Coal Co., North mine, Virden. 1st. W. off 15th S. off main 

east. 


PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS 

Coal No. 6 is in Macoupin County physically similar to that in 
other parts of the district, and the natural division of the bed into 
three benches prevails (see figure 11). The top coal which is gen¬ 
erally separated from the middle bench by a parting of pyrite, or in 
other places by charcoal, is composed of hard, bright coal usually 
free from impurities. Contrary to practice in the southern part of the 
State, the top coal is generally removed in mining. At the North 




















V 


COUNTY REPORTS 97 

mine of the Illinois Collieries Company at Virden 15 to 18 inches of 
top coal is left wherever this is possible. In places flakes of calcium 
carbonate or calcium sulphate have been deposited in the cleavage faces, 
more especially near the top of the bed, probably from descending 
waters. I he top coal is variable in thickness, but in most places it is 
less than 2 feet. 

1 he middle bench contains the largest amount of impurities which 
consist of horizontal bands of pyrite, dirt, and bone. In many places 
the luster of the coal in the middle bench is duller than that of the 
top and bottom. The banded impurities are more or less irregular in 
position, but in some mines certain bands are persistent and are 
employed in placing shots to best advantage, especially if the band acts 
as a clean parting in the bed. Pyrite streaks of this type are often 
called “steel” bands by the miner. In Superior Coal Company’s No. 
3 mine at Benld, the so called “steel” band is about 5^2 inches above 
the “blue band” and makes a clean parting at its horizon. Another 
characteristic parting lies from 15 to 30 inches below the top of the 
coal and may consist of pyrite, dirt, or charcoal. 

Besides the persistent impurities mentioned above, the middle 
bench is characterized by a number of irregular bands of these 
materials, ranging in thickness from a knife edge to 2 inches. The 
larger ones are rejected in mining. The “blue band” is characteristic 
here as in other counties of the district. It averages about 1 l /$ inches 
in thickness and is composed largely of fine-grained, gray shale, in¬ 
cluding horizontal streaks of sulphur. It is in the 1 nvest third of 
the bed and its position averages about 20 inches from the bottom. 

The bottom coal is generally somewhat harder than the middle, 
and it contains fewer dirt bands. In places near the contact with the 
floor black jack or bone is present to a thickness of several inches. 

The following detailed sections were measured at the face in 
typical mines of Macoupin County: 

Superior Coal Company, mine No. 3 
Section of coal No. 6 , face 5 th E., 1 st S 

Thickness 

Inches 

Shale, black, roof. 

Coal, bright, with gypsum flakes in cleavage planes toward top, a 


few charcoal bands; one small sulphur streak. 30 

Sulphur, in places dirt only, characteristic band. 

Coal, dull, laminated, ^-inch charcoal band 6 inches from top ; one 

or two irregular sulphur streaks. 34 

Sulphur, not continuous . 3 A 

Coal, alternating bright and dull layers. \2 l /> 

Sulphur, “steel-band” of miner; persistent, makes clean parting 

in coal . T/ f *° 

4-B-ll 









98 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Coal, bright, clean . 

“Blue band”, sulphur, and gray shale. 

Coal, bright clean and hard. 

Clay floor . Total thickness coal 


Thickness 


Inches 

sy 2 

\y 2 

24 

99/2 


Illinois Collieries Company, North mine, Virdcn 
Section of coal No. 6 , room 18 , 5 th right, off 15 S. 

Thickness 

Inches 


Shale, black, 1 to 6 feet. 

Coal, clean, bright, one small sulphur band not regular; at bottom 

thin sulphur band which acts as parting for top coal. 15 

Coal, fairly clean, bright with one band of charcoal. 11 

Dirt, regular, called “drift band”. 1 

Coal, clean . 9 

Dirt, persistent in mines. 1 

All coal above, contains many small dirt and sulphur layers. 

Coal, clean, bright. 14^2 

Sulphur, persistent, “steel band”. % 

Coal, clean, bright. 8 

“Blue band”, shale and sulphur, 2 to 3 inches in places. 24 

Coal, cleaner, brighter. In places bottom part is replaced by bone 

or black jack. 29 

Clay floor . Total thickness coal 8924 


ROOF OF COAL NO. 6 

The normal roof materials of coal No. 6 in Macoupin County 
are black shale next overlying the coal, followed by limestone cap 
rock. The shale is almost everywhere present, although in places it is 
scarcely more than a “draw slate". In the same mine the black, 
laminated shale may be 6 feet thick or it may be absent, in which 
latter case the limestone rests on the coal. When this is the condition, 
there are here and there a few inches of soft, limy, gray shale exhibit¬ 
ing but little cohesion, which underlies the regular cap rock. This 
so-called “clod" requires removal in mining. Where the shale is but 
12 to 15 inches thick it is generally removed sooner or later, and the 
cap rock left as the roof. 

Small “slip"-planes are present in the shale in most of the mines 
and “falls" are frequent. Figure 12 shows such a “slip”, and the 
resultant “fall” in mine No. 5, Madison Coal Corporation, Mt. Olive. 

In places part of the black shale appears to have been replaced 
by “white top," a light gray, clay shale, which seems to be definitely 
related to natural heating and in some places to gob fires. After 
“falls” including this material, if it is not removed, chemical action 

















COUNTY REPORTS 


99 


involving liberation of heat takes place in the loose mass, especially 
if the air is partly excluded by the plastic outer surface which results 
from exposure to the moist air of the mine. Heating continues, and 
if combustible material such as coal is mixed with the gob or if the 
mass rests against the rib, ignition is liable to occur. The constituents 
which cause the heating are not now known, but chemists of the 
cooperation are analyzing the shale and will no doubt be able to deter¬ 
mine the chemical reactions involved. 



Fig. 12. —Photo showing “slip” in roof and coal, and the “fall” resulting 
therefrom. Madison Coal Corporation, mine No. 5, Mt. Olive. (Courtesy Madi¬ 
son Coal Corporation.) 


The limestone cap rock is almost everywhere present. Its thick¬ 
ness is extremely variable, and it is made up of several beds of lime¬ 
stone with partings of shale. The combined thickness of these beds is 
as much as 30 feet in places, but averages about 10 feet for the county. 
The quality of the limestone roof is dependent largely upon the nature 
of its bedding. Where it lies in regular layers and the parting be¬ 
tween it and the coal is clean, it possesses a high degree of efficiency; 
where it is nodular and lacks uniform bedding planes, difficulty is ex¬ 
perienced in supporting it. Both types are present in mine 5 of the 
Madison Coal Corporation at Mt. Olive. 








100 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


In many places the black shale contains limy concretions or “nig- 
gerheads” which protrude into the coal. The irregularities produced 
by these concretions are not so large as the “rolls which are kettle¬ 
shaped proturberances of the limestone into the coal. Generally the 
rolls affect only the upper part of the bed and give to the roof a de¬ 
cidedly rough and nodular appearance. In places, however, their size 
and number is so great as to interfere with mining operations, and in 
a few mines they have caused the abandonment of the parts most af¬ 
fected. Such was the result on the west side of the North mine, Illi¬ 
nois Collieries Company at Virden. In places immediately adjacent 
to the rolls slickensides are found in the coal and the laminations are 
but slightly downward. It is generally apparent that the material 
forming the roll was deposited in an actual depression in the mass of 
vegetal matter before it began undergo pressure. As the overlying 
beds accumulated, the material now constituting the roll was depressed 
along with the coal and the small slip planes present are the result of 
adjustments incidental to the settling process. 



Miles 

Vertical Scale 


0 12 3 4 
Feet 

Fig. 13.— Sketch showing probable relation of erosion to the absence of roof 
limestone and coal in parts of Macoupin County. 

An extensive area east and southwest of Carlinville has no lime¬ 
stone over the coal. Holes in sec. 10, T. 8 N., R. 7 W.; sec. 22, T. 9 
N., R. 7 W.; and sec. 36, T. 10 N., R. 7 W. all show limestone near 
the coal. These holes lie in a general north-south direction. Two or 
three miles east, three others were drilled in secs. 18 and 32, T. 9 N., 
R. 6 W. and in sec. 32, T. 10 N., R. 6 W., and in all of these only 
shale from 40 to 50 feet thick forms the roof. Somewhere between 
these last holes mentioned and the Montgomery County line the coal, 
as well as the limestone, is absent. This barren area is part of the 
similar, but larger, region in western Montgomery County, described 
in the report on that county. The position of the western boundary of 
the barren area can not be drawn accurately with the available drill 
records, but its approximate location is indicated on the large map. It 
is believed that the absence of the coal and limestone is due to erosion 
which was active at some time after the roof limestone had been de¬ 
posited. The general relations are illustrated in figure 13. 




































































































COUNTY RETORTS 


101 


FLOOR OF COAL NO. 6 

1 lie clay underlying the coal in Macoupin county is relatively 
thin. In 16 mines which have been examined it varies in thickness 
from a knife edge to about 3 feet, the average being about 1 foot. Be¬ 
low the clay in most places a limestone of variable thickness and char¬ 
acter is reported. Many of the drill holes do not penetrate this hori¬ 
zon, but it is known in most of the mines in the county. About three 
feet of dove-colored, compact, non-crystalline limestone is visible un¬ 
der the clay in part of mine No. 15, Consolidated Coal Company at 
Mt. Olive. Most of the clay is impure, especially where it is thin, and 
it is not promising from a commercial standpoint. 


Coals below No. 6 


Most of the holes that penetrate the principal coal horizons were 
drilled in search of oil and are located in the vicinity of Carlinville in 
Tps. 9 and 10 N., R. 7 W. Even in these townships no coal below 
No. 6 can be traced for any distance. No. 5 coal, said by Worthen to 
outcrop on Hedges Creek 30 to 40 feet below No. 6, does not ap¬ 
pear to exist to the east. A coal ranging in thickness from 2 to 
4 feet was noted from 90 to 110 feet below No. 6 in sec. 24, T. 10 
N., R. 7 W., sec. 29, T. 9 N., R. 7 W., in sec. 2, T. 9 N., R. 9 W. and 
in sec. 14, T. 10 N., R. 7 W. The interval between this bed and coal 
No. 6 makes its correlation as coal No. 5 almost impossible. The only 
other horizon that shows any promise is from 200 to 250 feet below 
coal No. 6. Six of the deeper records note a coal in this, the position 
of coal No. 2 (Murphysboro). Its thickness varies from 3 to 5 feet, 
hut the measurements are from the churn drill and are not regarded as 
authoritative. A complete test of any part of the county for the deter¬ 
mination of its entire coal resources would involve the drilling of holes 
to a depth of 250 feet below coal No. 6 the main coal of the region. Un¬ 
til the supply of this latter bed is reduced however, it is doubtful if 
many tests will be continued below its horizon. 


i 


MADISON COUNTY 
Production and Mines 

Production in tons, year ending June 30, 1913. . . . 3,890,639 


Average annual production, 1908 to 1913. 3,615,309 

Total production, 1881 to 1913.56,005,118 


Madison County produced 6.1 per cent of the total output for Il¬ 
linois during the year ended June 30, 1913. Twenty-seven mines were 
operating, eleven of which produced more than 100,000 tons each, and 
one, New Staunton Coal Company, No. 1 at Livingston, had the largest 




102 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 



Fig. 14— View of Glen Carbon, a typical mining town in Madison County. (Courtesy Madison Coal Corporation.) 













Table 7. — List of shipping mines, Madison County, 1913 


COUNTY REPORTS 


103 


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104 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


output of any single mine in the State, the average being 4,003 tons 
per day or a total of 848 ,/Id tons for the yeai. 

The mines are located in two areas, one at the southern side of the 
county and the other in the northeast corner. All are working bed 
No. 6 or the “Belleville” coal. Figure 14 is a photograph of Glen Car¬ 
bon, Madison County, one of the better class mining towns. fable 
7 is a list of mines active during 1913 and data concerning them. 

Coal-bearing Rocks 

Madison County is located on the western boundary of the Illi¬ 
nois coal basin. The outcrop of the basal “Coal Measures” extends 
north and south through the western part of the county. Its position 
is obscured by the alluvial filling of American Bottom which extends 
from Alton south to the mouth of the Okaw in Randolph County. 
Its width in Madison County varies from one to six miles. 

The rocks in the flood plain of the Mississippi were eroded to a 
depth varying from 50 to 150 feet before the alluvium was deposited; 
consequently the veneer of “Coal Measures" rocks was largely washed 
away. Figure 15 shows the relation of the valley filling to the under¬ 
lying rocks along a line from Monks Mound N. 70 F. to the bluffs 
of the Mississippi. 



Feet 

;f ig . 15._Sketch showing relation of coal No. 6 to river alluvium and to 

underlying beds in Madison County. (After Fenneman.) 

Coal No. 6, which outcrops in the base of the bluffs south of 
Caseyville, is covered by alluvium, north of the southern boundary of 
Madison County and extends a short distance west of the bluffs. Its 











































































































COUNTY REPORTS 


105 


line of outcrop parallels the bluffs, but sufficient drilling has not pene¬ 
trated the alluvium to determine its exact position. 

1 he coal-bearing beds, which form but a veneer in the western 
part of the county, increase rapidly in thickness to the east, because of 
the pronounced dip in that direction. The increase in the thickness 
is gradual and these beds measure about 700 feet along the eastern 
boundary of the county. Coal No. 6, which comes to the surface at 
the base of the Mississippi bluffs, is 230 feet below the surface at Ed- 
wardsville, and about 400 feet deep in the eastern part of the county. 

The glacial covering is variable in thickness but reaches more than 
100 feet in places. In the eastern part it extends down to the Carlin- 
ville limestone which forms the bed rock in parts of R. 5 W. 

The beds above coal No. 6 consist largely of shale. The lime¬ 
stone overlying the coal is persistent, and the thin coal from 20 to 40 
feet above is noted in several of the logs. The red or variegated 
shales described in an earlier part of the report lie a short distance 
above the coal just mentioned. The Carlinville limestone, averaging 
about 9 feet in thickness, is from 250 to 280 feet above coal No. 6. It 
is present only in the eastern part of the county since it rises to the 
west and would outcrop in a general north-south line were it not 
covered by glacial drift except where the latter has been eroded. 
From 30 to 40 feet below the Carlinville limestone, and separated 
from it by shale, there is present in many places a bed of coal aver¬ 
aging about 18 inches in thickness, and a few drillers report a thin 
bed 150 to 180 feet above coal No. 6, corresponding to that mentioned 
in the report on Christian County as coal No. 8. None of the beds 
above coal No. 6 are commercial. 

Sandy shales and sandstones predominate below the Belleville 
coal. Six holes which penetrate most of the coal-bearing strata fail 
to show a persistent coal below No. 6. At Highland two coals sep¬ 
arated by 10 feet of fire clay and 5 feet of sandstone lie 200 feet be¬ 
low the horizon of coal No. 6, the latter coal being absent at this place. 
The upper bed is 1 foot 10 inches thick ; the lower, 1 foot 2 inches. 
Their position and occurrence correlate them as the two benches of 
coal No. 2 (Murphysboro). The other test holes do not record such 
beds. 

At Cantine a 2-foot coal lies 105 feet below coal No. 6, and at 
Livingston several thin beds are reported in a zone 125 to 150 feet be^ 
low the Belleville coal. The coals at both these horizons appear to be 
lenticular and will probably not prove to be commercial. 

The following is the record of a diamond-drill hole put down at 
Livingston by the New Staunton Ooal Company: 


106 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Record of Nezv Staunton Coal Co. drill hole 
Location—NE.J4 SE.^ sec. 16, T. 6 N, R. 6 W. 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 


Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Soil . 

2 


2 

. . 

Clay, yellow . 

16 

. . 

18 

. . 

Sand and gravel. 

7 

25 


Clay, bine . 

53 


78 


Clay, yellow . 

30 


108 


Limestone . 

1 


109 


Shale, soft, yellow. 

22 

131 


Sandstone . 

3 


134 


Shale, sandy. 

54 


188 


Shale, blue . 

15 

203 


Shale, clay, soft. 

11 

214 


Shale, soft lime. 

6 


220 


Shale, pebbles . 

9 


229 


Shale, sandy . 

2 


231 


Shale, clay . 

2 


233 


Shale, red, soft. 

4 


237 


Limestone . 

4 


241 


Shale, blue . 

13 


254 



Coal . 

Shale, clay .... 

Limestone . 

Lime shale .... 

Limestone. 

Shale, black .... 

Coal. 

“Bine band”. 

Coal. 

Fire clay . 

Limestone . 

Shale, blue, soft, 

Shale, bine . 

Shale, black 

Shale, clay . 

Shale, bine . 

Lime shale . 

Shale, sandy . . . 

Shale, bine . 

Coal . 

Shale, gray . 


7 

2 

2 

7 


7 

6 

10 

1 

4 

4 

1 

15 

37 


8 

4 



2 


' 

6 

No. 6.. 


2 1 



1 


2 5 


4 

8 

4 


256 

263 

265 

267 

274 

276 

282 

282 

283 

286 

293 

299 

309 

310 
314 
318 
320 
335 

372 

373 
373 


2 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

7 

7 


6 

6 

6 


4 

4 


Shale, blue . 34 


m r 

408 


Shale, sandy . 

6 

408 

6 

Shale, black . 

6 

409 


Coal .*. 

5 

409 

5 

Shale, black . 

7 

410 
































































COUNTY REPORTS 


107 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 


Ft. 

In, 

Ft. In, 

Coal . 

2 

8 

412 8 

Shale, dark blue. 

1 

4 

414 

Clay, shale . 

3 


417 

Limestone . 

2 

6 

419 6 

Coal . 


9 

420 3 

Blue band. 


1 

420 4 

Coal . 

1 

3 

421 7 

Coal, shaly . 


5 

422 

Shale, black . 


6 

422 6 

Limestone . 

3 


425 6 

Shale, clay . 

5 

6 

431 

Limestone . 

1 


432 

Coal . 

1 

2 

433 

Shale, clay . 

8 

10 

442 

Shale, dark, with sandstone partings.... 

15 


457 

Limestone . 


6 

457 6 

Shale, dark, with sandstone partings. . . . 

1 


458 6 

Limestone . 

1 

6 

460 

Shale, blue . 

6 

2 

466 2 

Coal . 

. . 

6 

466 8 

Sandstone . 

, . 

1 

466 9 

Coal . 

. . 

6 

467 3 

Lime shale . 

3 

9 

471 

Shale, soft, brown. 

19 

. , 

490 

Shale, black . 

11 

, . 

501 

Sandstone . 

34 


535 


Gas at 535 feet, 100 lbs. pressure for one month. 


The record below is from a well drilled in 1889 for the Helvetia 
Milk Condensing Company at Highland. The absence of coal No. 6, 
which should be about 310 feet from the surface, is explained under 
the subject “Distribution and depth” in this chapter. 


Record of Helvetia Milk Condensing Co. drill hole 
Location—SW.^ SE y A sec. 32, T. 4 N, R. 5 W. 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 


Ft. I n. 

Ft. 

In. 

Pennsylvanian strata— 




Drift . 

66 

66 


Limestone (Carlinville ?). 

4 

70 


Black shale . 

3 

73 

Fire clay. 

7 

80 

Shale . 

16 

97 


Shale, black. 

6 

103 


Limestone, brown . 

28 

131 


Shale. 

55 

186 

. • 

Sand (water) . 

73 

259 





























































108 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 



Ft. In. 

Ft 

Shale . 

10 

269 

Fire clay? . 

10 

279 

Sand, red . 

2 

281 

Limestone . 

22 

303 

“Slate”? . 

5 

308 

Sand (horizon of coal No. 6) 

12 

320 

“Slate”?. 

12 

332 

Sand . 

6 

338 

Shale . 

20 

358 

Sand (water) . 

39 

397 

“Slate” . 

20 

417 

Sand (water). 

40 

457 

“Slate,” black . 

25 

504 

Coal (No. 2?) . 

1 10 

506 

Fire clav . 

10 

516 

Shell sand. 

5 

521 

Coal . 

1 

522 

Fire clay . 

4 

526 

“Slate,” black. 

55 

582 

Sand (water) . 

25 

607 

“Slate,” black. 

25 

632 

Shale . 

75 

707 

Limestone . 

4 

711 

“Slate” . 

30 

741 

Sand (water). 

29 

770 

Shale . 

27 

797 

Mississippian strata— 



Chester group-— 



Limestone, brown . 

6 

803 

“Slate” . 

4 

807 

Limestone . 

8 

815 

Sand, red . 

2 

817 

“Slate,” red. 

4 

821 

Sand (water). 

8 

829 

“Slate” . 

3 

832 

Sand, brown (water). 

20 

852 

Sand, red. 

12 

864 

Shale . 

6 

870 

Sand, brown (water). 

19 

889 

Sand, green, shaly.'. 

15 

904 

Sand, green . 

18 

922 

Sand, white (water). 

72 

994 

Sand, white . 

22 

1014 

St. Louis formation— 



Limestone . 

75 

1089 


Depth 

In. 


In the Highland well the Chester beds consisting of interbedded 
shales, some of which are red sandstones and limestones, measure 213 



























































COUNTY REPORTS 


109 


feet. 1 he top of the Chester is 797 feet below the surface and the 
“Big Lime” which underlies the Chester is found at 1010 feet. 

Geological Structure 

In common with the beds of adjacent counties, the rocks of Madi¬ 
son County dip eastward at an average rate of about 13 feet per mile. 
A slight reversal of this dip is apparent in the south-central part of 
the county where the axis of the Belleville anticline crosses the bound¬ 
ary and extends northeast for a few miles. Its exact shape and size 
in Madison County are not well known owing to a lack of drilling 
data, but it has not proved to be commercially important. The beds 
in the eastern tier of townships are almost horizontal. 

Although many small slips affect the coal beds, no major faults 
have been found in the mines of the county. The roof irregularities 
known as “faults” by the miners will be discussed under the proper 
heading in this chapter. 


Coal No. 6 

DISTRIBUTION AND DEPTH 

Coal No. 6 underlies approximately three-quarters of the county. 
Its western boundary is indicated on the large map accompanying this 
report. As has been mentioned, it outcrops near the base of the bluffs 
bordering American Bottoms, and dips to the east at a rate sufficient 
to carry it 400 feet below the surface along the eastern boundary. 

The area in which coal No. 6 is thin or absent in Montgomery 
and Christian counties extends southward probably through the east¬ 
ern tier of townships in Madison County. The bed is known to be ab¬ 
sent in sec. 3, T. 6 N., R. 5 W., and for some distance east and south 
as shown on the map. It is also absent at Highland, and it is thin 
inside of the area shown near Aviston in Clinton County. Between 
Highland and the northeast corner of the county no drilling has been 
done, but the alignment of the barren and thin areas in this part of the 
State, leaves small room for doubt that they are all connected. The 
tentative boundaries are drawn on the map according to the best in¬ 
formation available at this time. They are in no way final but will be 
revised from time to time as new data are available. Although it is 
believed that this barren zone is continuous through the eastern part 
of the county, its size and shape are not known. It is reasonable to 
suppose that between Highland and the northeast part of the county 
its width is about 2 or 3 miles, which is the average for the places 
mentioned. 


110 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


THICKNESS AND CHARACTER 

Coal No. 6 averages slightly more than 6 feet in thickness in the 
mines of the county. At Collinsville the average is about 7 feet, but 
the bed thins somewhat towards the northeast. No information is 
available as to the thickness of the bed northwest of Edwardsville, but 
it is likely that near the outcrop it has been considerably affected by 
erosion prior to the deposition of the glacial drift. 

Figure 16 shows the physical character of coal No. 6 in some of 
the mines of Madison County. 

4 



Fig. 16.—Graphic sections of coal No. 6 from measurements made in the 
mines of Madison County. 

1. Mt. Olive and Staunton Coal Co., 2, Williamson. Entry face, main 
north, 3500 feet from shaft. 

2. New Staunton Coal Co., Livingston. 1st. right off main west, face 
4000 feet from shaft. 

3. Madison Coal Corporation, No. 2, Glen Carbon. Face 8th. N. off 3rd. 
E., 3500 feet from shaft. 

4. Lumaghi Coal Co., No. 2, Collinsville. 1st. E. off main S., 5700 feet 
from shaft. 

Over most of the county coal No. 6 compares favorably with that 
of the entire Belleville district. The usual three benches are recog- 































COUNTY REPORTS 


111 


nized (see figure 16), but the top coal is seldom left for roof. The 
middle bench especially is characterized by a number of pyrite bands. 

The following section was measured in mine No. 2, Lumaghi 
Coal Company, Collinsville. 

Section of coal No. 6; main cast face; August, 1912 

Ft. In. 


Top coal, bright, clean. 1 8 

Sulphur streak . 

Coal, fairly clean, bright, soft, brown streak. 1 ]A 

Coal, soft, with few dirt bands. 3 8/ 2 

“Blue band”, shale . .. 1 y 2 

Coal, harder than above. 1 10*4 


8 5 

About 23 inches above the “blue band” there is a streak of sul¬ 
phur which is more or less continuous and reaches a thickness of ^2 
inch in places. In the mine it has been observed that the coal below 
this sulphur contains a larger number of dirt bands than does the upper 
part of the bed. The persistent nature of the sulphur band makes it 
possible to place shots above it, and to use it as a parting in the bed. 
The face of the coal is streaked with a large number of pyrite bands, 
most of which are small lenses traceable for only short distances. 

The following section was measured in the mine of the New 
Staunton Coal Company, Livingston: 

Section of coal No. 6; room i, 11 south entry off main cast 

Ft. In. 

Top coal, bright, clean, impurities mostly facings of gyp¬ 


sum and calcite. 1 V 2 

Coal with small sulphur streaks. 2 1 

Sulphur band, persistent. •• /4 

Coal with many dirt streaks. . • 22 


Sulphur band, persistent, variable in thickness 
Coal, clean . 


“Blue band”, gray shale and sulphur. .. 1}4 

Coal, bright and clean. •• 10 

6 sy 2 


ROOF AND FLOOR 

The regular roof of coal No. 6 consists of gray or black shale of 
variable thickness overlain by limestone ranging in thickness from a 
few feet to as much as 30 feet. In many places the immediate roof 
is so thin that it is really a “draw slate,” and in others the limestone 
rests on the coal itself. In the latter case the contact between the coal 
and the limestone is generally irregular, and the bottom of the cap 



















112 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


rock consists in places of poorly bedded, impure limestone known as 
“clod." The black shale does not ordinarily exceed 8 feet in thick¬ 
ness, but in mine No. 3, Donk Brothers, the soapstone roof is reported 
to be 50 feet thick. The black shale tends to fall easily, especially 
after exposure to the air. 

Figures 17 and 18 are from photographs by the Madison Coal 
Corporation. They show the character of the shale-limestone roof 
not only for Madison County but in a general way for district VII. 

The limestone generally exhibits sufficient cohesion to form a 
strong roof, but in places, as in New Staunton Coal Company’s mine 
No. 1 at Livingston, both the limestone and shale cause trouble by 
falling in large masses, one of which was 50 feet long and 30 feet high. 
Slip planes in the roof are responsible for dangerous falls and are es¬ 
pecially feared because no evidence of their existence is known until 
the fall has taken place. 

Besides the unevenness of the contact between the limestone and 
the underlying shale, it is not unusual to find the limestone protruding 
down into the coal as a roll, actually replacing a large amount of the 
coal itself. Such features affect the coal for only short distances. In 
a few places it seems to be clear that the limestone was deposited on 
an eroded surface and that the accumulating pressure was responsible 
for the slickensides present. In other cases, the black shale forms 
the lowest part of the roll and its bedding is parallel with that of the 
coal. Slickensides in both the coal and the roll give evidence of con¬ 
siderable pressure. 

Small faults having a throw of half the thickness of the bed are 
not uncommon throughout the county, but the limestone rolls are more 
numerous in the northeastern mines. 

Coals below No. 6 

The few holes in Madison County that have penetrated the en¬ 
tire thickness of coal-bearing beds furnish only a small amount of in¬ 
formation regarding coals below No. 6. At Highland, coal No. 2 is 
probably represented by two coals separated by 15 feet of fire clay 
and sand, the upper bed being 1 foot 10 inches thick and the lower 
measuring 1 foot 2 inches. At Livingston in the northeastern part of 
the county five coal horizons were penetrated below coal No. 6, the 
beds ranging in thickness from 1 foot 2 inches to 3 feet 1 inch; but al 1 
show numerous partings of shale. It is not possible to correlate them 
with other beds in the county, and it is probable that they are lenti¬ 
cular. At Cantine a bed 2 feet 6 inches thick was found 105 feet be¬ 
low coal No. 6. Coal No. 5 is not developed in the area tested up to 
the present time. 



Fig. 17.—Photo showing clod-limestone roof, Madison Coal Corporation, 
mine No. 4, Glen Carbon. (Courtesy Madison Coal Corporation.) 

Note difficulty experienced in holding up clod. 
























Fig. 18.— Photo showing nature of bedding in black shale roof. (Courtesy 
Madison Coal Corporation.) 








COUNTY REPORTS 


115 


MARLON COUNTY 


Production and Mines 

Production in tons, year ended June 30, 1913. 1,188,551 

Average annual production, 1909 to 1913. 1,107,319 

Total production, 1881 to 1913.20,228,469 


During the year ended June 30, 1913, Marion County produced 
1,188,551 tons of coal or 1.92 per cent of the State’s total output. 
Six mines were in operation, all in coal No. 6, and the annual pro¬ 
duction ranged from 390,106 tons down to 84,614 tons. 

Table 8. —List of shipping mines, Marion County, 1913 


6 

£ 

Company 

Mine 

Location 

Surf. elev. 

Depth to coal No. 6 

Alt. top coal No. 6 

Average thickness 

Production 1913 

J4 


Sec. 

£ 

H 










Feet 

Feet 

Feet 

Ft. In. 

Tons 

1 

Marion County 













Coal Co. 


NE 

NE 

31 

2 

1 

490 

600 

-110 

6 3 

390,106 

2 

Chicago San- 













doval Coal 













Co. 

2 

sw 

SW 

17 

2 

1 

503 

634 

-131 

6 . . 

201,567 

3 

Odin Coal Co. 

Odin 

NW 

NW 

13 

2 

1 

532 

708 

-176 

6 . . 

197,058 

4 

Centralia Coal 













Co. 

2 

NW 

NW 

19 

1 

1 

496 

570 

- 74 

6 6 

167,516 

5 

Centralia Coal 













Co. 

4 

SW 

NE 

7 

1 

1 

490 

670 

-180 

6 6 

147,689 

6 

Chicago San- 













doval Coal 













Co. 

1 

SW 

NE 

17 

2 

1 

503 

604 

-101 

5 6 

84,615 


Coal-bearing Rocks 

The coal-bearing beds in the western part of Marion County are 
well known, since most of the drill holes penetrate all of the Penn¬ 
sylvanian and part of the underlying Mississippian rocks. In drilling 
for oil, little attention is given coals other than No. 6, and it is be¬ 
lieved that the diamond drill will prove the existence of the beds not 
yet reported. The Pennsylvanian formations underlie all of the 
county below the glacial drift, which averages less than 100 feet in 
thickness, although thicknesses of 150 feet are not uncommon. 

Coal No. 6, the most important bed in the county, varies in depth 
from 500 feet in the western side to almost 900 feet in the eastern 
part. The limestone cap rock is generally present, and another more 

























116 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


or less persistent limestone probably the Carlinville, lies about 350 
feet above the coal. Other thin limestones are reported at various 
horizons, but these cannot be successfully correlated from one hole to 
another. The greater part of the section is composed of shales and 
minor beds of sandstone. Two beds of coal above coal No. 6 may be 
recognized in most of the shaft logs and diamond-drill records. The 
first of these lies about 35 feet above coal No. 6, and probably repre¬ 
sents coal No. 7. A few of the logs show another thin bed 10 to 15 
feet above coal No. 7, attaining a thickness of 1 foot 4 inches. About 
200 feet above coal No. 6 a thin coal is reported in scattered prospect 
holes and shaft logs, but it is not noted in any of the oil holes. This 
bed is in most places thin, but its commercial utilization was attempted 
by the Centralia Coal Company at their mine No. 2, where it is lo¬ 
cally developed to an unusual thickness. The shaft was later sunk 
to coal No. 6 and the upper levels were abandoned. 

The coal-bearing formations were deposited on an eroded surface 
of Chester rocks, and as a result the base of the Pennsylvanian is ex¬ 
tremely irregular, being from 400 to 700 feet below coal No. 6, the 
greater thicknesses representing beds deposited in former valleys. The 
lower part of the coal-bearing rocks is composed largely of sandstone, 
no bed being traceable for any considerable distance. Shales are 
present but not so abundantly as in the section above coal No. 6. The 
coals below No. 6 are insufficiently prospected since most of the deep 
holes have been drilled for petroleum, little or no attention having 
been given to the position of thickness of the coals. For a thorough 
investigation of the coal beds it is necessary to drill carefully through 
the beds for a distance of 300 feet below coal No. 6, in order to der 
termine the existence of coals No. 5 and No. 2 which are undoubtedly 
the most persistent. In prospecting for coal in Marion County, holes 
should be discontinued at a depth of 325 feet below coal No. 6. Bed 
No. 5 whose horizon averages 50 feet below coal No. 6 would be pene¬ 
trated in all coal tests. 

The following logs are representative of the beds in various parts 
of Marion County. 


Record of Centralia Coal Co., shaft AT. 2 
Location—NW.J4 NW.J4 sec. 19, T. 1. N., R. 1 E. 


Description of Strata 


Thickness 

Depth 




Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

“Hardpan” . 


2 

6 

2 

6 

Clay, yellow . 


9 

6 

12 


“Soapstone” . 


11 

. . 

23 


“Slate”, blue . 


47 


70 


Shale . 


• 

8 

70 

8 


















COUNTY REPORTS 


117 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 


Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Limestone . 

1 

6 

72 

2 

Coal . 


8 

72 

10 

“Slate”, blue . 

24 

6 

97 

4 

“Soapstone” . 

2 

. , 

99 

4 

Limestone rock . 

5 

6 

104 

10 

Sandstone, hard . 

5 

• • 

109 

10 

Coal . 

. . 

2 

110 

. . 

Sandstone, soft . 

6 


116 

. • 

Coal . 

, . 

6 

116 

. . 

Sandstone . . . .. 

2 

6 

119 

. . 

Coal . 

, , 

2 

119 

2 

“Soapstone” . 

4 

. . 

123 

2 

Limestone rock . 

2 


125 

2 

Sandstone . 

12 

2 

137 

4 

Rock, blue . 

1 

6 

138 

10 

Fire clay . 

2 

. . 

140 

10 

“Soapstone” . 

15 

6 

156 

4 

Slate, blue . 

. . 

29 

185 

4 

Lime rock . 

11 


196 

4 

Shale . 

5 

6 

201 

10 

Coal . 


5 

202 

2 

“Soapstone” . 

4 


206 

2 

Sandstone . 

10 


216 

2 

“Slate” . 

50 


266 

2 

Limestone .. • 

1 


267 

2 

Shale . 

2 


269 

2 

“Soapstone” . 

3 


272 

O 

2. 

Sandstone . 

24 


296 

2 

Slate”, blue. 

79 


375 

7 

Coal . 

1 

2 

376 

4 

“Soapstone” . 

3 


379 

4 

Conglomerate of limestone . 

8 


387 

4 

“Slate”, light colored. 

10 


397 

4 

Sandstone . 

56 


453 

4 

“Slate”, dark colored. 

43 


496 

4 

“Slate”, black, with carbonate of iron. ... 

6 


496 

10 

Coal . 

“Soapstone” with sulphide of iron, soft, 
stratified rock, a mixture of kidney 

1 

y 2 

496 


ore and fire clay. 

11 

. . 

510 

lD/a 

Sandstone and sulphide of iron. 

t 

• • 

511 

ID /2 

“Slate”, deep black. 

1 

• • 

512 

H /2 

Fire clay . 

1 

6 

514 

5/2 

Limestone, gray . 

2 

• • 

516 

5/2 

Shale, variegated . 

8 


524 

5/2 

Coal . 

2 


526 

5/ 2 

Marble limestone . 

8 

• • 

534 

5# 

Shale, blue . 

2 

• • 

536 

5J4 

Limestone, gray .. 

4 

6 

540 

1 H /2 


























































118 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 


Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Shale, black . 

2 

6 

543 

5)4 

Limestone, gray . 

4 

. . 

547 

5)4 

Shale, black . 

12 


559 

5)4 

Limestone, bine . 

7 

, , 

566 

5/2 

Shale, bituminous . 

Coal (continuation with diamond drill 

2 

6)4 

569 


in bottom of shaft). 

7 

# # 

576 

, , 

Lump fire clay . 

10 

. , 

586 

. . 

Sand, shale, and lime (mixed). 

3 

. . 

589 

. . 

Lime shale . 

1 

2 

590 

2 

Coal and slate. 

. # 

4 

590 

6 

Clay shale . 

62 

6 

653 


“Slate”, black. 

5 


658 


Coal . 

2 

2 

660 

2 

Clay shale, dark. 

2 

10 

663 


Limestone . 

1 

4 

664 


Clay shale . 

11 

8 

676 


“Slate”, gray . 

7 


683 


Sand shale . 

14 

• • 

698 


Clay shale . 

2 

3 

700 

3 

“Slate”, black . 


9 

701 


Coal . 

1 

3 

702 

3 

Fire clay, soft brown. 

3 

9 

706 


Conglomerate, lime, and shale. 

1 


707 


Sand shale . 

9 


716 


Shale, dark gray. 

4 


720 


“Slate”, black . 

. # 

8 

720 

8 

Coal . 


4 

721 


Shale, gray . 

1 


722 


Coal . 

. . 

1 

722 

1 

Sand shale . 

5 

11 

728 


Shale, dark . 

2 


730 


“Slate”, black . 

1 

2 

731 

2 

Coal . 

1 

3 

732 

5 

Shale, gray . 

1 

7 • 

734 


Sand shale . 

4 


738 


Shale, gray, 2 partings . 

3 

6 

741 

6 

Coal . 

, . 

6 

742 


Sandstone, gray . 

5 


747 


Sand shale . 

2 


749 


Clay shale . 

3 

6 

752 

6 

Coal . 

. , 

6 

753 


Fire clay . 

3 


756 


Clay shale . 

2 


758 


“Slate”, black . 

1 

3 

759 

3 

Coal . 

1 

3 

760 

6 

Clay, shale, brown. 

4 

6 

765 


Fire clay, white. 

1 


766 


Fire clay .i 

3 

6 

769 

6 





































































COUNTY REPORTS 


119 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 


Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Limestone . 

1 

6 

771 


Clay shale . 

2 

* # 

773 


“Slate”, black . 

1 

7 

774 

7 

Coal (No. 6). 

6 

11 

781 

6 

Shale, dark . 

1 

6 

783 


Sand shale . 

1 

4 

797 


Sandstone . 

16 

, , 

813 


Shale, gray . 

4 

. . 

817 


Clay shale . 

25 

6 

842 

6 

Conglomerate, sand and bowlders. 

6 

6 

849 


Sand shale . 

2 

, . 

851 


Clay shale . 

12 

8 

863 


Coal . 

. . 

4 

864 


Fire clay . 

. . 

2 

864 

2 

Clay shale . 

3 

*7 

/ 

867 

9 

Sandstone . 

18 

3 

886 


Record of shaft No. i, 

Odin Coal Company 


Location—NW.J4 NW.^ sec. 13, T. 

2 N., R. 1 E. 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 


Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Surface soil . 

1 

10 

1 

10 

“Hardpan” . 

. . 

10 

2 

8 

Clay, yellow . 

7 


9 

8 

Clay, sand, yellow. 

4 

6 

14 

9 

L* 

Clay, blue, gravel. 

20 


34 

2 

Clay, blue . 

78 


112 

2 

Clay, brown . 

2 

6 

114 

8 

Clay, blue, mud and sand. 

6 


120 

8 

Quick sand . 

6 


126 

8 

Gravel, cemented . 

1 


127 

8 

Lime rock . 

1 


128 

8 

“Soapstone” . 

• • 

6 

129 

2 

Lime rock . 

1 


130 

2 

“Soapstone” . 

2 

6 

132 

8 

Lime rock . 

7 


139 

8 

“Soapstone” . 

7 

6 

147 

2 

Sandstone . 

10 


157 

2 

Shale . 

6 


163 

2 

Coal . 

. . 

4 

163 

6 

“Soapstone” . 

4 


167 

6 

“Slate”, blue . 

19 


186 

6 

“Soapstone” . 

4 


190 

6 

Shale . 

3 


193 

6 

Fire clay . 

4 


197 

6 

Lime rock, blue. 

8 

1 

205 

7 

“Slate”, blue . 

3 

• • 

208 

7 

Coal . 

. . 

2 

208 

9 













































































120 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 


Ft. In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Fire clay . 

6 

209 

3 

Sand shale . 

14 2 

223 

5 

Coal . 

7 

224 

. • 

Sand shale . 

11 

235 

• • 

Sand, rock, and shale. 

4 

239 

. . 

Sand shale . 

5 

244 

. . 

“Slate”, blue . 

9 

253 

. . 

Rock and gravel. 

1 6 

254 

6 

Fire clay . 

2 6 

257 


Fire clav and bowlders. 

2 

259 

. . 

Slate, dark blue. 

58 

287 


Limestone (Shoal Creek). 

10 

297 


“Slate”, black . 

3 

300 

. . 

Coal . 

2 

300 

2 

Fire clay . 

5 

305 

o 

Sand rock . 

4 6 

309 

8 

Sand shale . 

52 

361 

8 

“Slate”, blue . 

10 

371 

8 

Rock and gravel . 

1 4 

373 

.* . 

Lime rock . 

6 

373 

6 

Fire clay . 

5 

378 

6 

Conglomerate slate and lime rock. 

8 

386 

6 

“Soapstone” . 

10 

396 

6 

Sand rock . 

63 

459 

6 

“Slate”, blue . 

28 

487 

6 

“Slate”, blue, and boulders. 

7 

494 

6 

Coal . 

10 

495 

4 

Fire clav . 

2 6 

497 

10 

Conglomerate sand and lime rock. 

8 

505 

10 

Sand rock . 

5 

510 

10 

“Slate”, grav . 

13 

523 

10 

Sand, shale, and lime rock. 

46 

569 

10 

“Slate”, blue . 

44 

613 

10 

Clay shale, light. 

1 6 

615 

4 

Conglomerate clay and gravel. 

5 

620 

4 

Fire clav . 

6 

626 

4 

Lime rock, hard. 

9 6 

635 

10 

Lime rock, soft. 

4 6 

640 

4 

Shale, blue . 

10 6 

650 

10 

Coal . 

1 4 

652 

2 

Fire clav . 

1 8 

653 

10 

Conglomerate . 

2 

655 

10 

Shale, dark blue. 

7 

662 

10 

Coal (No. 7). 

3 2 

666 


Fire clav . 

2 

668 


Clay, pebbly . 

2 

670 


Lime rock, light. 

1 

671 


Clay shale . 

1 

672 


Lime rock . 

5 

677 


































































COUNTY REPORTS 


121 


Description of Strata 

Thickne 

ss 

Depth 



Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Shale, blue . 


4 

677 

4 

Limestone . 


4 

677 

4 

Shale, blue . 


9 

678 

r* 

a 

Limestone . 

1 

3 

679 

8 

Shale, blue . 

1 

3 

680 

1 

Lime rock, white. 

6 


686 

11 

Lime rock, mottled. 

3 


694 

11 

Lime rock, dark gray. 


10 

695 

9 

Shale, black . 

14 


709 

9 

Coal (No. 6). 

7 

6 

717 

3 


Record of Ohio Oil Co. zvell 
Well—Guthrie No. 1. 

Location—SW. 14 SW.4 sec. 28, T. 2 N., R. 1 E. 


(Descriptions by J. A. Udden) 

Description of Strata Thickness Depth 

Feet Feet 

Pennsylvanian strata— 

Surface material . 20 20 

Bowlder clay . 6 26 

Bowlder clay, blue. 4 30 

Bowlder clay, washed. 10 40 

Drift . 10 50 

Shale, micaceous, sandy.... 5 55 

Sandstone . 5 60 

Shale . 10 70 

Shale, unctuous, light bluish. 15 85 

Shale, gray, micaceous. 5 90 

Shale, gray, micaceous, sandy. 5 95 

Shale, unctuous, blue. 5 100 

Shale, dark gray, micaceous. 5 105 

Shale, bluish gray, unctuous. 25 130 

Sandstone, sandy, fossiliferous, and shale with gray 

sandstone with infiltrated lime. 5 135 

Shale, dark gray, unctuous. 5 140 

Shale, dark gray, stiff. 10 150 

Lacking . 20 170 

Coal, impure, and fire clay. 5 175 

Fire clay, greenish gray.:. 5 180 

Limestone, brecciatecl, gray and black shale. 5 185 

Limestone, gray, sandy, with fragments of shells.... 5 190 

Sandstone, gray, micaceous and sandy shale. 5 195 

Shale, sandy . 5 200 

Shale, dark gray. 5 205 

Shale, micaceous, sandy. 25 230 

Sandstone, sandy, showing shreds of carbonaceous 

material . 10 240 

Shale, dark gray. 10 250 













































122 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Description of Strata Thickness Depth 

Feet Feet 

Shale, black, coaly. 5 255 

Another sample with same number, but prob¬ 
ably coming from below this, consists of gray shale 
and sandy calcareous rock. 

Shale, gray, sandy, micaceous, and shale sandstone 

filled with interstitial lime. 5 260 

Shale, gray, clay, some limestone and black shale.... 5 265 

Shale, micaceous, sandy. 5 270 

Sand, gray and white laminated. 5 275 

Shale, dark, stiff. 15 290 

Shale, dark, micaceous. 10 300 

Shale, dark, stiff. 15 315 

Shale, dark, stony, like the preceding. 25 340 

Shale, gray, stiff. 5 345 

Shale, gray . 15 360 

Limestone, gray and white, with coal and fire clay. . 5 355 

Fire clay, coal, limestone, etc. 5 60 

Fire clay, shale, and siderite concretions. 5 365 

Sandstone and fire clay. 5 370 

Shale, 'gray, sandy. 5 375 

Shale, sandy, and sand. 5 380 

Sand containing carbonaceous material. 5 385 

Shale, gray, micaceous sand. 20 405 

Shale, gray . 5 410 

Shale, gray, sandy. 35 445 

Shale, dark gray . 15 460 

Shale, black, “clod” with a small gasteropod, small 

Athyris umbo, a crinoid stem and coal. 5 465 

Sandstone, nodular calcareous, and impure sandstone 5 470 

Shale, dark and siderite. 10 480 

No sample . 5 485 

Shale, black . 5 490 

No sample . 5 495 

Shale, black, calcareous rock and some white lime¬ 
stone . 5 500 

Shale, gray, sandy material, some white limestone 
and some black shaly calcareous rock. Fusu- 
lina, Chonetes punctatus, and crinoid stems 

noted . 5 505 

Sandstone, gray, and dark shale—a few bits of 

limestone . 5 510 

Shale, dark, and some coal. A few pieces of white 

limestone. 5 520 

Shale, gray sandy, some black shale, and bits of 

yellowish-white limestone. Pyrite noted. 5 525 

Shale, black . 5 530 

No sample . 5 535 

Shale . 5 540 

Shale, dark gray and black. 5 545 

No sample . 5 550 






































COUNTY REPORTS 


123 


Description of Strata Thickness Depth 

Feet Feet 

Shale, gray. 5 555 

Shale, gray, micaceous. 5 560 

Sandstone, gray, micaceous, and a few pieces of coal 5 565 

Shale, gray, micaceous and bits of siderite. (Sec¬ 
ond sample with this label) 

Shale, black, and coal, with a few pieces of white 

and dark limestone and pyrite. 10 575 

Shale, black, and a few pieces of coal. 5 580 

Sandstone, gray, some yellow limestone, and a little 

shale and pyrite. 5 585 

Sandstone, gray, micaceous, and a little shale_ 5 590 

Shale, black . 5 595 

Missing . 5 600 

(Second sample with this label). Dark shale, 

a few pieces of yellow limestone and coal. 5 605 

Shale, gray, micaceous, and some coal. 5 610 

Shale, dark . 5 615 

Shale, gray, micaceous. 5 620 

Shale, gray, and yellow, slowly effervescing lime¬ 
stone. Bits of olive-green sandstone. 5 625 

Shale, dark gray. 5 630 

Shale, gray . 10 640 

Shale, gray, and some black shale. 10 650 

Shale, gray . 5 655 

Shale, gray, micaceous. 5 660 

Shale, gray sandy, micaceous, some gray micaceous 

shale, and a few pieces of pyrite. 10 670 

No sample . 5 675 

Shale, gray . 5 680 

Shale, gray, a little gray sandstone, and concre¬ 
tionary siderite . 5 685 

Shale, gray, micaceous, and a few pieces of con¬ 
cretionary siderite . 5 690 

Shale, gray, micaceous. 5 695 

Shale, dark . 5 700 

Shale, gray . 5 705 

Shale, gray, some imprints of leaves. 5 710 

Shale, gray, micaceous, and a little sandstone. 5 715 

Shale, gray . 5 720 

Shale, gray, and some siderite concretions. 5 725 

Shale, dark gray, and some siderite. 5 730 

Shale, gray . 10 740 

Shale, dark gray . 5 745 

Shale, dark gray, and some siderite. 5 750 

Shale, gray, sandy, and a few small pieces of white 

limestone . 5 755 

Shale, gray, sandy. 5 760 

Shale, dark . 5 765 

Shale, gray, micaceous . 5 770 

Shale, gray, sandy . 5 775 








































124 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Description of Strata Thickness Depth 

Feet Feet 

Shale, gray, micaceous, sandy. 5 780 

Shale, gray, micaceous, some siderite and black 

sandy shale . 5 785 

Shale, gray, micaceous . 5 790 

Sandstone, gray, some coal, some white limestone, 

pyrites and siderite. 5 795 

Coal, some gray sandstone, some limestone, and 

siderite. 5 800 

Shale, gray, and fire clay, and small pieces of 

coal and siderite. 5 805 

Shale, black, and some coal. 5 810 

Shale, black, micaceous. 5 815 

Shale, gray, and coal, with some siderite and pyrite 5 820 

Shale, gray, some coal, concretionary yellow lime¬ 
stone and white limestone. Pyrite also noted 5 825 

Fire clay, concretions of siderite, white limestone, 

black limestone, and black shale. 5 830 

Clay shale, green, pure limestone. The shale is 
filled with spherules of siderite up to 12 mm. 

in diameter. 10 840 

Shale, green, filled with spherulitic siderite concre¬ 
tions, some sandy, pyritiferous shale and some 

fragments of limestone. 5 845 

Shale, green, much concretionary limestone. Some 


of the limestone is white and pure, some is 
in the form of black concretions with centers 
of calcite, some is a gray rock filled with 
spherules of siderite, and other small grains 
of siderite, while some is brownish red, and 


brecciated and contains organic fragments.... 5 850 

Sandstone, white, some shale and a few fragments 

of limestone . 5 855 

Shale, gray, and shaly sand. 5 860 

Like the preceding . 5 865 

Shale, sandy, some black shale, and some coal. 5 870 

Sandstone, very micaceous, white. b 875 

Shale, micaceous, sandy. 5 880 

Sandstone, gray, micaceous. 5 885 

Sand, shaly, gray. 5 890 

Like the preceding. 5 895 

Sand, gray, micaceous, with much pyrite, some of 

which is interestitial in the sand. 5 900 

Sand (sample very small). 5 905 

Sandy, light gray, shaly rock. 5 910 

Like the preceding. 5 915 

Samples wanting . 15 930 

Shale, dark, stony, micaceous. 5 935 

Like the preceding . 5 940 

Sandstone, gray . 5 945 






























COUNTY REPORTS 


125 


Description of Strata.- Thickness 

Feet 

Sand and black laminated stiff shale. Sample 
marked: “Salt water in this sand or Bridge¬ 
port sand” . 10 

Sand, coarse, rounded, with brownish-black grains 
which effervesce very slowly in acid. Many 
crinoid stems were noted, which did not effer¬ 
vesce in acid, and which had the appearance 

of being siliceous . 15 

Sand, coarse, gray, mixed with siderite fragments, 

pyrite, and some fire clay. 5 

Sandstone, gray, siderite, and fire clay. 5 

Sand, gray, fairly clean, showing secondary crys¬ 
talline enlargements . 5 

Sand, gray, showing secondary enlargement of grains 10 

Sandstone, yellowish gray, micaceous. 5 

Sand, gray, some limy material. 5 

Sand, white, micaceous with some limy material.... 5 

Sand, white, micaceous . 5 

Sand, coarse, white . 5 

Sand, coarse, white, showing secondary enlargement 

of some grains. 5 

Sand, gray, showing secondary enlargement of some 

grains . 5 

Sand, coarse, gray (two samples). 5 

Sand, gray . 5 

Sand, fine, gray, micaceous. 10 

Sand, gray, some pieces showing lamination, some 

dark shale . 5 

Sandstone, gray, some dark greenish, micaceous 

shale, pyrite present. 5 

Sand, coarse, gray, some gray shale, a little coal, 
pyrite and concretionary limestone of obscurely 

spherulitic concretionary structure. 5 

Shale, dark, some white sandstone, a little coal, and 

bits of siderite. Two samples. 5 


Sandstone, white, concretionary siderite, some pyrite, 
and dark shale. A few red, conchoidally split¬ 
ting fragments were noted which were hard 
and did not effervesce. This sample was 


labeled “dark sand” by the driller . 5 

Fire clay, gray, of fine texture. 20 

Shale, dark gray, fine in texture, and compara¬ 
tively soft . 10 

Shale, dark gray and black. 5 

Shale, greenish, dark, micaceous. 15 

Shale, greenish black, of fine texture. 5 

Shale, dark, micaceous, stiff. 10 

Shale, dark, with siderite concretions. 5 

Shale, dark . 5 


Depth 

Feet 


960 


975 

980 

985 

990 

1000 

1005 

1010 

1015 

1020 

1025 

1030 

1035 

1040 

1045 

1055 

1060 

1065 


1070 

1075 


1080 

1100 

1110 

1115 

1130 

1135 

1145 

1150 

1155 





























126 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Description of Strata Thickness Depth 


Feet Feet 

Shale, dark greenish, with a few minute and irri- 

descent mica scales. 20 1175 

Shale, dark, gray fire clay, and coarse sand. 5 1180 

Sand, gray, showing secondary crystalline faces on 

some grains . 5 1195 

Shale, dark greenish, gray micaceous, speckled with 
minute, black fragments, probably carbona¬ 
ceous . 5 1200 

Shale, gray, concretionary siderite. 5 1205 

Sandstone, gray, coarse, with a white siliceous inter- 
sticial cement, and some gray shale and 

siderite . 5 1210 

Shale, gray, concretionary siderite, with some small 

pieces of sandstone. 10 1215 

Shale, black, micaceous, some siderite. 10 1220 

Shale, gray, sandy, some sandy shale and a little 

black shale . 5 1225 

Shale, gray, micaceous . 5 1230 

Shale, gray, micaeous. 5 1235 

Shale, greenish gray, sandy, micaceous. 5 1240 

Mostly a brown, apparently fragmental siderite, 
having the texture of an organic breccia, with 

white, coarse sandstone and gray shale. 5 1245 

Siderite, fragmental and granular, white sandstone 

and gray shale. 5 1250 

Sandstone, white, and granular siderite. 5 1255 

Sand, laminated, white pure, with granular brown 

siderite . 10 1265 

Sandstone, yellowish gray, of fine texture. 5 1270 

Sand, yellowish gray, of fine texture, clean. 5 1275 

Shale, greenish black, of very fine texture. 15 1290 

Shale, greenish, dark, and fine sand. 10 1300 

Sandstone, white, with infiltrated matrix of partly 
calcareous material, and some shale. Driller’s 

note “Sandy lime”. 10 1310 

Shale, dark, and white sandstone with infiltered 

lime. Driller’s note: “Sandy lime”. 10 1320 

Shale, dark, and a little sandstone with infiltered 

lime, bits of pvrite. 10 1330 

Sand, white, somewhat coarse, and a little dark shale, 

Pennsylvanian in aspect. A carbonaceous film 
or shred was seen adhering to a small piece of 

sandstone . 15 1345 

Sand, yellow, with a few flakes of mica and some 
dark shale. Drillers note: “Salt sand.” Penn¬ 
sylvanian in aspect. 15 1360 

Mississippian strata— 

No sample . 5 1365 

Sand, yellow, and some gray oolitic limestone. 5 1370 

No sample . 15 1385 






























COUNTY REPORTS 


127 


Description of Strata Thickness Depth 

Feet Feet 

Limestone, gray, oolitic. Drillers note: “Lime”_ 10 1395 

Limestone, gray, oolitic. 5 1400 

Shale, gray, with a few bits of pyrite. 10 1410 

Shale, dark, and white sandstone with infiltered lime. 

Driller’s note: “Sandy lime”. 30 1440 

Shale, black, and some white sandstone, with a little 

infiltered lime . 5 1445 

Shale, black, and some white sandstone with infil¬ 
tered lime . 5 1450 

Shale, dark, some white limestone and red shale. 

Drillers note: “Sandy lime, and top or red 

rock for 30 feet past”. 5 1455 


Shale, gray, and organic, white fragmental lime¬ 
stone. In this limestone are pieces of Fenes- 
tella, Polypora (?), echinoid spines, flutes and 
tuberculated, some spicules (?) and frag¬ 
ments of brachipod shells, and crinoid stems. 


Some red shale noted. 5 1460 

Like the preceding with echinoid spines. 5 1465 

Limestone, organic, fragmental, and dark gray 

shale . 10 1475 

Shale, black, and organic, fragmental limestone.... 10 1485 

Limestone, organic, fragmental, and some green shale 5 1490 

Limestone, organic, fragmental, and black shale. 

Some gray sandstone and an Athyris noted.... 5 1495 

Shale, dark. Some limestone and crinoid stems 

noted . 5 1500 

Shale, dark red, with some calcareous material. 5 1505 

Shale, dark, green . 5 1510 

Shale, bluish black . 5 1515 

Shale, gray, and reddish-yellow shale with con¬ 
siderable calcareous material. 10 1525 

Shale, greenish black and brownish black, of fine 

texture . 5 1530 

Shale, brownish red, with a yellowish streak. 5 1535 

Shale, brownish red, and dark, greenish-gray shale.. 5 1540 

Shale, brownish and greenish gray. Drillers note: 

“Red rock in all 1530 to 1547 feet”. 10 1550 

Shale, greenish gray . 10 1560 


On the cover of this sample is written : “Top of lime 
1560 feet. Cased here.” The sample is a 
grayish-white shell breccia, which consists of 
small and thin shell fragments lying more or 
less flat in the same plane, showing small 
Athyris shells, and shells of other brachio- 

pods, and crinoid stems. 1560 

Shale, greenish, sandy, or shaly sand, with some 
red shale and some white sandstone of fine 
texture. Brachiopod spines noted. 10 1570 






















128 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Description of Strata thickness 

Feet 

Sand, dark greenish, of fine texture with some 
white fine sand. Pyrite noted. On cover of 
sample is the note: “Top of Benoist or oil 

sand” . 5 

Sand, dark, green, of very fine texture, with some 
shale of the same color. Pyrite, white sand¬ 
stone, white limestone and spines and shells 
of brachiopods noted. Labeled: “Benoist 

sand” . 5 

Sand, white, with grains of about % mm. in diam¬ 
eter. Drillers note: “Oil sand”. 5 

Sand, greenish gray, and sandy shale, some of 
which shows incipient fissures along which 
oxidation has taken place, and the material has 
assumed a red color. Some of the shale is 
red. Crinoid stems and fragments of brachio- 
pod shells noted. Sample marked : “Benoist or 

oil sand” . 15 

Sandstone, siliceous, white, gray, and green, of 
very fine texture. Size of grains in this, as 
in previous two samples, about 1-16 mm. in 
diameter. Some dark gray, greenish gray, 
and red shale. Some sandy shale was noted 
with joints of oxidized, red material intersect¬ 
ing the green. This rock shows thin laminations 5 
Sandstone, greenish gray, and dark brown of very 
fine texture. This rock is laminated, showing 
quite intensely green layers alternating with 
gray, brown, and red layers. The laminae are 
from 1-16 to 1-2 mm. in thickness and more, 
and quite straight. On the cover of the sample 
is the note : “Bottom of oil or Benoist sand” 5 
Sand, light gray, slightly micaceous, and apparently 
slightly coarser than the preceding, some dark 

sandy shale, and some dark brown shale. 5 

Sand, gray, coarser than the above and ground up 
into separate grains. These average about 
1/6 mm. in diameter. On cover of sample is 
the note: “Salt water sand”. 10 


Depth 

Feet 


1575 


1580 

1585 


1600 


1605 


1610 

1615 


1625 


Log of Kinmundy mine shaft 
Location—Kinmundy, Illinois. 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 



Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Drift clay . 

. 12 

. . 

12 

. . 

Sandstone and shale. 

. 134 

5 

146 

5 

Limestone, pebbly . 

. 1 

4 

147 

9 

“Slate”, black . 

. 9 

7 

157 

4 

Coal . 

. 1 

2 

158 

6 

Fire clay . 

. 7 

. • 

165 

6 

























COUNTY REPORTS 


129 


Description of Strata 


Shale, gray . 

“Slate”, black . 

Coal . 

Fire clay . 

Shale . 

“Slate”, black . 

Limestone, bituminous . 

Coal . 

Limestone and black shale. 

Coal . 

Clay shale . 

Shale, gray and black with bands of lime 

“Slate”, black . 

Coal .. 

Fire clay ... 

Limestone . 

Shale, gray . 

“Slate”, black . 

Coal . 

Fire clay . 

Shale and sandstone. 

Coal . 

Fire clay . 

Limestone . 

Shale . 

Limestone . 

Shale, bituminous, and 2 inches coal.... 

Shale, pebbly . 

Sandstone and shale. 

Limestone, pebbly . 

Shale, bituminous, and >2 inch coal. 

Fire clay . 

Sandstone and shale. 

Shale, black . 

Coal . 

Fire clay . 

Limestone, sandstone and fire clay. 

Shale, blue . 

Limestone . 

Fire clay . 

Shale, green . 

Limestone, pebbly . 

Sandstone and shale. 


Coal No. 7. 

Fire clay . 

Sandstone and shale . 

Coal . 

Shale, black . 

Hard rock, gray limestone... 
Coal . 


c 

No. 6 « 


Thickness Depth 


Vt. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

19 

7 

185 

1 

11 

. , 

196 

1 

1 

6 

197 

7 

2 

, , 

199 

7 

37 

10 

237 

5 

5 

, , 

242 

5 

9 

L* 


244 

5 


6 

244 

11 

6 


250 

11 


2 

251 

1 

5 

6 

256 

7 

51 

, , 

307 

7 

1 

6 

309 

1 

1 

, , 

310 

. • 

1 

6 

311 

6 

3 

, . 

314 

6 

15 

9 

330 

3 

3 

. , 

333 

3 

2 

, , 

333 

5 

2 

10 

336 

3 

65 

6 

401 

9 

. . 

4 

402 

1 

4 

, , 

406 

1 

3 

. , 

409 

1 

71 

. # 

480 

1 

9 

10 

492 


2 

# , 

494 


5 

, , 

499 


76 

, . 

575 


1 

6 

576 


2 

6 

579 


5 


584 

. , 

69 

, . 

653 

• • 


10 

653 

10 

.. 

7 

654 

5 

2 

. , 

656 

5 

8 

6 

664 

11 

14 

2 

689 

1 

21 

6 

710 

7 

2 

. . 

712 

7 

1 

6 

714 

1 

6 

# , 

720 

1 

84 

2 

804 

3 

2 


806 

3 

11 

, . 

817 

3 

30 

, . 

847 

3 

2 

2 

849 

5 

3 


852 

5 

4 

, , 

856 

5 

4 

2 

860 

7 


5B-11 




































































130 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Geologic Structure 

The geologic structure is best known in the southwestern part of 
Marion County where most of the mines and oil wells are located. In 
other parts of the county the holes are scattered and data on the coals 
are so meagre that correlations of beds is difficult and the structure 
therefore uncertain. 

Marion County lies a short distance west of the deepest part of 
the Illinois coal basin, and in a general way the dip of all the beds is 
eastward. The most pronounced feature is the northward extension 
of the Duquoin anticline along the western edge of the county as far 
as Sandoval, where its axis begins to plunge towards the northeast. 
The axis of the fold passes near Centralia and Sandoval. The anti¬ 
cline is symmetrical, having its steeper dip to the east. 

The axis of the fold undulates, the higher areas possessing the 
characteristics of domes, as in secs. 29 and 31, T. 2 N., R. 1 E. and in 
sec. 8, T. 2 N., R. 1 E. These features possess more than ordinary in¬ 
terest because they have been responsible for oil and gas accumular 
tion, the largest field being located on the dome north of Sandoval. 
A detailed report on the Marion County oil fields by R. S. Blatchley, 
was published in Bulletin 16 of the Illinois State Geological Survey. 
From the top of the dome at Sandoval, where coal No. 6 is 32 feet be¬ 
low sea level, the bed dips eastward to Salem at the rate of about 36 
feet per mile, although the dip is not uniform throughout the distance 
of 9 miles. In fact, from sec. 9, T. 2 N., R. 1 E. to Odin, the coal 
lies practically flat. 

In the southwest corner of the county, the coal shows a dip of 
200 feet in \y 2 miles, as indicated by its position in mine No. 5, Cen¬ 
tralia Coal Company, sec. 25, T. 1 N., R. 1 W., Washington County, 
and in the drill hole, sec. 20, T. 1 N., R. 1 E. It is probable that 
faulting is responsible for some of the irregularities of structure along 
the anticline. In Marion Coal Company’s mine, NW. Ct NE. y t 
NE. Y\ sec. 21, T. 2 N., R. 1 E., a northeast-southwest fault of ap¬ 
proximately 30 feet displacement having a downthrow to the west, 
was found 200 to 300 feet east of the shaft. More than usual interest 
is attached to this fault, since a small oil seep in the mine along the 
plane of fracture was responsible for the discovery of the Marion 
County oil fields. The latter feature is described more fully under the 
subject “Roof”. 

In mines 3 and 4 of the Centralia Coal Company in sec. 7, T. 1 N., 
R. 1 E. a fault, probably the southward continuation of the one men¬ 
tioned above, shows a displacement of 110 feet, the coal being higher 
on the east side. The fault is located 1800 feet east of the shaft in 
mine No. 3, SW. NE.^J sec. 7, and 1500 east of the shaft in No. 4 


COUNTY REPORTS 


131 


NW. 34 SE. 34 sec. 7, the direction of the fault being slightly east of 
south at this place. Its location south of Centralia is uncertain, but 
it is believed to lie east of mines No. 2 and No. 5, and it is entirely prob¬ 
able that the break is east of the Miller Oil Company’s well, SW. 34 
NW. 34 sec. 20, T. 1 N., R. 1 E. The fault has limited operations on 
the east side of the mines mentioned. The steep east dip in the south¬ 
west corner of the county is no doubt complicated by faulting, but no 
details can be predicted at present. Such a condition would be in 
harmony with the geologic structure farther southwest along the Du- 
quoin anticline in Perry County. 

The structure of eastern Marion County is uncertain. At Kin- 
mundy coal No. 6 lies about 273 feet below sea level; but at Farina in 
T. 5 N., R. 4 E. the same bed is nearly 130 feet higher, although the 
latter hole is 6 miles northeast of the Kinmundy shaft and w r ould be 
expected to reach the coal at a lower altitude if the regular east dip 
affected this area. Some uncertainty exists in this case since no writ¬ 
ten log was kept for the Farina hole. 

In the extreme eastern part of the county, SE. cor. sec. 25, T. 3 
N., R. 4 E., a 6-foot bed of coal overlain by limestone was found at 
a depth of 1050 feet, about 520 feet below sea level. Its correlation 
as coal No. 6 is strengthened by the existence of a thinner bed 89 feet 
low r er, apparently No. 5. The east dip of 12 feet per mile from Salem 
to this hole, is regular for the district. 

The 2-foot beds in sec. 4, T. 2 N., R. 4 E. and sec. 24, T. 2 N., 
R. 3 E. lying 273 and 350 feet below sea level are probably above coal 
No. 6 and the latter bed has not been recorded. Figure 19 shows the 
position of coal No. 6 along a line from Central City east through 
Salem to the edge of the county. 

Coal No. 6 

DISTRIBUTION AND THICKNESS 

In Marion County coal No. 6 is best known in the southwestern 
part where it has been mined, and in the same region much informa¬ 
tion has been gained in drilling for oil and gas, although coal data se¬ 
cured in the latter operation are more or less unreliable. The Survey 
has no drill records for the following townships: T. 4 N., R. 4 E.. 
T. 3 N., Rs. 2 and 3 E., T. 1 N., Rs. 2, 3, and 4 E. With the excep¬ 
tion of Tps. 1, 2, and 3 N., R. 1 E., the holes are scattered, and the 
coal records were not carefully kept. It is believed that the bed is 
represented by at least a few^ feet of coal throughout the entire county; 
but predictions as to its commercial possibilities must necessarily be 
stated with caution, since such data as are available outside the prin- 


132 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


iO 


Ul 

Z 

_l 


UJ 

> 

UJ 


< 

ul 

CO 


CO, 

O ', 1 

Z. 


•< 1 
O' 
O' 


co 


c\j 


1 


z 

CO 


z z 

CM — 


n<r- 

7 



0 

M 

« 



* 5 

♦ 2 

1 

1 

NO 

CO* 

CM* 

INI' 

T 

:o . 

1 


UJ 

CO 

UJ 

CM 

ui 


p IG 19, —Sections showing position of coal No. 6 along a line from Central City to Salem, Marion County. 
































COUNTY REPORTS 


133 


cipal mining area indicate that even where the bed is identifiable its 
thickness and general character are decidely variable. Mining was 
formerly done at Kinmundy and at Salem, but operations were aban¬ 
doned because of abnormal conditions. 

The average thickness of coal No. 6 from measured sections in 
the mines of Marion County is 6 feet, the range being from 5 feet 6 
inches to about 6 feet 10 inches. At Kinmundy the bed is represented 
by two benches separated by 3 feet of shale underlain by 5 feet of 
limestone. The upper coal varies in thickness from 28 to 36 inches 
and the lower averages 43 inches. At Salem it is 4^4 feet thick, and 
the mine was abandoned several years ago. In the future when the 
areas of thicker coal in the Centralia district are mined out, capital 
will be interested in the development of the eastern part of the county, 
and the thinner coal will be extracted. The Centralia district is sur¬ 
rounded by areas of thinner coal (see PI. I). Tps. 1 and 2 N., R- 1 E., 
have the advantage of uniform thickness and quality of coal and good 
transportation facilities. 

It is probable that other areas in the county contain coal of equal 
thickness and character, but careful work with the diamond drill will 
be necessary in order properly to outline them. 

PHYSICAL CHARACTER 

The coal in the Centralia area resembles that of the entire Belle¬ 
ville district, although its average thickness is 6 feet, or 1 foot less than 
the average for the district. 

Figure 20 is a graphic representation of coal No. 6 from measure¬ 
ments made in some of the Marion County mines. The physical and 
chemical differences in coal No. 6 east and west of the Duquoin anti¬ 
cline, as shown further south, are not apparent in Marion County. 
As stated above, the anticline loses its identity north of Sandoval, and 
it is probable that general conditions were much the same on either 
side of the known fold during deposition of the coal. 

In mine No. 5, Centralia Coal Company, the usual 3 benches are 
present, and the entire bed varies in thickness from 5 feet 4 inches to 
8 feet, the average being about 6 feet. The top coal is irregular in 
thickness but persists throughout the mine. It consists mostly of 
glance coal which is extremely brittle and breaks into tarry, eon- 
choidal pieces. 

The prominent “blue band” 3 to 12 inches above the floor sep r 
arates the middle from the bottom coal. The fracture of the middle 
and lower benches is blocky, and the bottom coal is the hardest of all. 
Gypsum and calcite are deposited in fracture planes in considerable 


134 COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


5 



:J=Fd LEGENO 



Fig. 20.—Graphic sections of coal No. 6 from measurements made in mines 
of Marion County. 

1. Odin Coal Co., Odin. Room 1, 2nd. north, west entry. 

2. Centralia Coal Co., No. 2, Centralia. 

3. Centralia Coal Co., No. 4, Centralia. 

4. Chicago Sandoval Coal Co., No. 2, Sandoval. Room 8 off 2nd. south on 
east side. 

5. Kinmundy Coal Co., Kinmundy. (Abandoned.) Air course 300 feet 
soutlmest of shaft. 






























































































COUNTY REPORTS 


135 


amount. Small bands of pyrite and dirt are noticeable, but the “blue 
band” is the only one persistent. 

At Odin in the northeastern part of the Centralia held at the 
most easterly mine now operating in the county, the coal varies in 
thickness from 6 to 7 feet. The top coal averages 15 inches in thick¬ 
ness, and the bottom bench from 4 >4 to 8 inches. 

The following section shows the average physical character of 
the bed at Odin: 

Section of coal No. 6 in Odin Coal Company’s mine, Odin 

Thickness 
Ft. In. 


Top coal, clean, bright, laminated. .. 16 

Pyrite, persistent . .. yf 

Coal, clean, finely laminated. . . 5 

Dirt and pyrite, persistent. . . y A 

Coal, laminated, with many dirt bands, and considerable 

pyrite in lenticular streaks. 4 

“Blue band”, gray shale, although in some places pyrite 

only . . . 2 

Coal dull . . . 10 


6 10 

The coal at Odin is very similar to that at Centralia. The gyp¬ 
sum and calcite in the fracture planes are conspicuously abundant. 
Fibrous ferrous sulphate is developed on the exposed ribs and on the 
floor, especially in the more moist places. At numerous places in the 
Odin mine calcareous clay veins cut the bed vertically. In most places 
they do not exceed 4 inches in width, and as a rule they extend only 
part way from the top to the floor. Moreover, there appears to be no 
system to the veins and no means of predicting their occurrence. 
They are interesting because of their rare development in coal No. 6, 
and their similarity to the veins in coal No. 5 at Springfield. At 
Odin they are not large enough to be especially troublesome in mining. 

At Kinmundy two beds of coal 8 feet apart lie at the horizon of 
bed No. 6. In places the interval consists entirely of shale which 
forms a roof for the lower bed, and in others as much as 5 feet of 
limestone rests on the lower coal. It is believed that the two benches 
represent coal No. 6, and that the intervening material is simply a 
parting similar to that in coal No. 2 at Murphysboro. The top bench 
varies from 28 to 36 inches and the lower averages 45 inches. Min¬ 
ing has been confined mostly to the lower bench, although the upper 
bed is said to be the better coal and to have the stronger roof. This 
coal does not part readily from the roof and its variable thickness 
renders its commercial value uncertain. 









136 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Clay veins similar to those at Odin cut through both coals and the 
intervening beds. In the Centralia Coal Company’s mines No. 2, 
No. 3, and No. 4 the “blue band” is in most places represented by two 
thin beds of shale separated by 3 or 4 inches of coal. The lower 
part of the band is the more persistent of the two. 

ROOF AND FLOOR 

The limestone cap rock is present over most of the county, and 
has an average thickness of about 15 feet. In places small shale 
partings are interbedded with the limestone. Below the cap rock the 
material overlying the coal is variable. At the Odin mine from 2 to 
10 feet of black shale exists above the coal. In parts of the mine the 
lower 5 inches of this material is removed in mining. Above the 
shale the usual limestone cap rock is present over the entire mine. 

Most of the records show a variable amount of clay under the 
coal. At the Odin mine the underclay reaches a thickness of 8 feet. 
It is very rocky and is unfit for commercial use. Ordinarily the clay 
is dry, but when the mine is idle the floor heaves sufficiently to cause 
inconvenience. The variability in character and thickness of the un r 
derclay of coal No. 6 make it extremely doubtful if any of it in 
Marion County can compete with the fire clay and shales near the 
coals in northern Illinois. 


IRREGULARITIES 

The feature of greatest importance as an irregularity in the 
county, so far as known, is the Centralia fault mentioned earlier in 
the report. North of Centralia in mines No. 3 and No. 4 the fault 
has a displacement of 110 feet, the upthrow being to the east. It is 
found 1800 feet east of the shaft in No. 3, and 1500 feet east of the 
shaft in No. 4, having at this point a slight northwest-southeast trend. 

Two miles north in the Marion County Coal Company’s mine in 
NW. 34 NE. 34 NE. 34 sec. 31, T. 2 N., R. 1 E., a northeast-southwest 
fault having an upthrow of 30 feet to the east has been known for 
several years. The latter fault appears to be responsible for the oil 
seeps in the mine, which led to the discovery of the Marion County oil 
fields. At this place an oil sand exists only 17 feet below coal No. 6. 
The fault not only brings the sand into closer contact with the mine 
entries, but it also afifords channels for the easy movement of oil 
particles. The relations between the coal and the oil sands are 
graphically shown in figure 21 which is adapted from figure 1, Bulle¬ 
tin 16 of this Survey. 

In the Marion County Oil and Gas Company’s well, SE. 34 SW. 
14 sec. 29, T. 2 N., R. 1 E., about >4 mile east of the mine under com 


COUNTY REPORTS 


137 



Fig. 21.—Sketch showing probable reason for oil seep in Central City mine. 
(After Blatchley.) 

sideration, the coal and the oil sands were found at depths of 50 feet 
and 67 feet respectively below sea level. At the mine shaft the coal 
lies 600 feet below the surface or 90 feet below sea level. From the 
well westward to the fault, which is about 250 feet east of the shaft, 
the beds dip 23 feet, which is sufficient grade to allow the oil to 
gravitate down dip and seep into the mine. For several years this 
oil has been collected and used for lubricating purposes around the 
mine. 

The direction and character of this fault, and its position along 
the axis of the Duquoin anticline lend strength to the belief that it is 
the northward continuation of the Centralia fault described above. 
The position of the coal in drill holes between Junction City and Cen¬ 
tralia furnishes additional support to this belief. 

Other Coals 

Several coal horizons exist above coal No. 6, but all have proved 
to be commercially valueless under present conditions because they are 
lenticular, and most of them too thin for profitable mining. 

From 35 to 50 feet above coal No. 6 there is commonly one bed, 
or in places two closely associated beds, which represent coal No. 7. 
Only one or two of the oil holes record this coal, and it is known 
chiefly in the shafts and in holes drilled for coal, of which there are 
but a small number. In the logs available for study, coal No. 7 
ranges in thickness from 6 inches to 3 feet 4 inches. One record 
shows two beds separated by 10 feet of clay, the upper being 1 foot 4 
inches and the lower 3 feet 2 inches in thickness. So far as known, 
no attempt has been made to mine this coal, and no information re- 






















































































































































































































































































































































































































138 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


garding its character is available. In mine No. 2, coal No. 8, 200 feet 
above No. 6, formerly marked the bottom of the shaft. The record 
shows that it was 7 feet thick, but if so, this is the only place in the 
State where coal No. 8 attains as great a thickness. The shaft was 
sunk later to coal No. 6, and no coal is now extracted from the upper 
bed. In other records thin beds of coal are reported near this hori¬ 
zon, but in no case is the thickness more than 14 inches. Many lenti¬ 
cular coals are reported in the shaft logs, but they are thin and can 
not be traced from one hole to another. None of these lenses ex¬ 
ceeds 2 feet in thickness, and they can not be regarded as important 
in estimating the coal resources of the county. 

Below coal No. 6 the beds are known only through oil-well logs 
which are unsatisfactory. Although many holes have been drilled in 
the county, the information regarding the lower coals is practically 
negligible. Only 7 records show coals below No. 6, although it is al¬ 
most certain that other beds do exist. Two of these holes in sec. 4, 
T. 1 N., R. 1 E. penetrate coals said to be 5 feet thick. In one the in¬ 
terval between coal No. 6 and the recorded bed is 115 feet and in the 
other 220 feet. The latter coal occupies the position of coal No. 2, 
but data are too meagre to correlate it positively with the Murphys- 
boro. The 5-foot coal, 115 feet below coal No. 6, is reported in but 
one hole, and it is believed that little confidence can be placed in the 
existence of any commercial bed at this horizon. 

Coal No. 5, having a thickness varying from 5 to 7 feet, is re¬ 
ported in 4 holes near Odin and Sandoval. The bed lies from 25 to 
45 feet below coal No. 6 in the western part of the county, but in sec. 
25, T. 3 N., R. 4 E. at the eastern side the only bed referable to coal 
No. 5 is 85 feet below coal No. 6, showing a probable increase in the 
interval between the coals towards the east. 

The large number of records and the paucity of coal data bring 
out forcibly the need of careful drilling and the correct determination 
of the position and thickness of coals even where oil is the major con¬ 
sideration. It is more economical to secure all possible data in one 
hole rather than to drill a separate hole for each kind of information. 
Despite the large amount of money expended, almost nothing is known 
regarding the areal distribution and thickness of coals below No. 6 in 
Marion County. 


MONTGOMERY COUNTY 
Production and Mtnes 

Total production in tons, year ended June 30, 1913. 2,418.329 
Average annual production from 1908 to 1912. . . . 1,840,200 
Total production, 1881 to 1913.16,902,790 



COUNTY REPORTS 


139 


During the year ended June 30, 1913, Montgomery County pro¬ 
duced 3.89 per cent of the total output for Illinois. Only 10 mines 
were in operation, of which 6 produced more than 150,000 tons each. 
The county has increased steadily in its coal production, largely be¬ 
cause of its advantageous location, good transportation facilities, and 
the improvement of its mining equipment. 

Below is the list of mines operating in 1913. The Nokomis Coal 
Company has recently opened a new property at the place of the same 
name and with its modern equipment will add considerably to the total 
output for the county. 


Table 9 .—List of skipping mines, Montgomery County, 1913 



Company 



Location 


• 

> 

<L> 

VO 

6 

£ 

a 

o 

V 

o 

VO 

° 8 

^ c 

M « 

O 

U 

ion 1913 

Map No 


Mine 

54 

54 

6 

<v 

m 

H 

R. W. 

Surf, el 

<—■ 

Oh 

o 

Q 

Oh U 

o bo 

-*-* cd 

~ % 

< < 

u 

0 

"■O 

o 

u 

Ph 

1 

Peabody Coal 
Co. 

14 

sw 

NW 

32 

10 

2 

Feet 

665 

Feet 

576 

Feet 

89 

Ft. In. 

8 . . 

Tons 

551,772 

2 

Shoal Creek 

Coal Co. 

1 

sw 

SE 

22 

7 

4 

537 

374 

163 

7 . . 

542,473 

3 

Peabody Coal 

Co. 

15 

Cen. 

NE 

23 

8 

4 

620 

458 

162 

8 . . 

395,003 

4 

Hillsboro Coal 
Co. 

Hills¬ 

boro 


NE 

12 

8 

4 

620? 

435 

185? 

7 . . 

351,723 

5 

Peabody Coal 

Co. 

12 

NW 

SE 

6 

9 

2 

665 

541 

124 

8 . . 

271,839 

6 

Peabody Coal 

Co. 

11 

NE 

NW 

5 

8 

3 

651 

462 

189 

7 6 

167,070 

7 

Clover Leaf 

Coal Co. 

2 

SE 

NE 

3 

7 

3 

630 

517 

113 

7 6 

85,516 

8 

Farmersville 

Coal Mining 

Co. 

1 

SW 

NE 

4 

11 

5 

631 

370 

261 

8 6 

26,922 

9 

Litchfield Col¬ 
lieries Co. coal 
No. 2 5 

7 


NE 

32 

9 

5 

690 

702 

-12 

4 8 

20,593 

10 

Peabody Coal 

Co. 

10 

NW 

NE 

10 

10 

2 

667 

630 

37 

8 6 

7,418 

11 

Nokomis Coal 

Co 


SW 

NW 

28 

10 

2 

663 

658 

5 

7 6 

1 


Coal-bearing Rocks 

Although an average thickness of 100 feet of drift covers the un¬ 
derlying rocks in Montgomery County except where streams have 
cut their valleys into the uppermost part of the coal-bearing forma- 


•'■Litchfield coal lies near horizon of No. 2, but is not definitely correlated as No. 2. 































140 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


tions, from a study of records of 115 coal and oil tests and mine shafts 
the stratigraphy is well known, especially down to, and including, coal 
No. 6. Unlike the holes in Marion County, the majority of which 
were drilled in search of oil, most of the Montgomery logs represent 
borings for coal and consequently careful attention has been given 
the Pennsylvanian beds. 

In the western part of the county these rocks average about 750 
feet in thickness, and the gradual eastern dip increases this thickness 
to about 1000 feet along the eastern boundary. Coal No. 6 varies in 
depth from 340 feet on the west to almost 700 feet near the east 
county line. 

Next below the drift in the western half of the county is the Carr 
linville limestone which is exposed in places by the west fork of Shoal 
Creek. This limestone varies from about 270 feet to a little more 
than 300 feet above coal No. 6, the larger intervals appearing in the 
eastern part of the county. Its average thickness is about 10 feet, 
although greater thicknesses are reported, and in places it consists of 
two beds separated by a thin parting of shale. Its persistence in the 
logs is remarkable when one considers the large number of sources 
from which the records have been collected. 

In Tps. 9 and 10 N., R. 1 W. and in T. 10 N., R. 2 W. the Car- 
linville limestone is 300 feet or more below the surface; and the 
New Haven limestone, ranging from 20 to 40 feet in thickness and ly¬ 
ing about 200 feet above the Carlinville, forms the bed rock just as 
the latter underlies the drift in the western part of the county. In the 
southeastern townships the New Haven was eroded prior to the deposi¬ 
tion of the glacial drift, and its line of outcrop, if drawn on the map, 
would extend parallel to and about 30 miles east of, that of the Car¬ 
linville. 

The limestone cap rock over coal No. 6 is even more persistent 
than the coal itself. In fact, where the coal has been eroded, it is 
possible in many places to identify the horizon by the position of this 
roof limestone. Above the limestone, and separated from it by clay 
or shale, the drill generally penetrates coal No. 7 about 30 feet above 
coal No. 6. The higher bed is usually thin, but thicknesses of 2 feet 
are not uncommon. A short distance above coal No. 7 and usually 
less than 50 feet above coal No. 6, a thin bed of red or variegated 
shale is penetrated. Its colors are so pronounced that in spite of 
small quantity, drillers seldom fail to notice and record it. 

Coal No. 8 is found over practically the entire county. It is 
from 150 to 180 feet above coal No. 6 and averages about 1 foot in 
thickness. The beds between coals No. 8 and No. 7 are mostly 
shales, and the same is true of those between coals No. 8 and No. 9, 


COUNTY REPORTS 


141 


which are 90 to 110 feet apart. Coal No. 9, where present, ranges in 
thickness from a few inches up to 1 or 2 feet. The interval between 
coal No. 9 and the Carlinville limestone above is composed largely of 
shales and does not exceed 50 feet. 

The 200-foot shale interval between the Carlinville and the New 
Haven limestones is constant. Within this zone two thin coals 55 feet 
apart are reported in a number of holes, the upper bed being about 80 
feet below the bottom of the New Haven limestone. 

Below coal No. 6 there are from 300 to 350 feet of Pennsylvanian 
rocks and in this part of the section they are more sandy than in that 
part above the Belleville coal. A number of coals exist below coal 
No. 6 but they are so variable in thickness, character, and position that 
correlation is extremely difficult with present information. All of the 
commercial coals will probably be found in a zone not exceeding 250 
feet, the top of which is formed by coal No. 6. The individual beds 
thus far known will be treated under “Other Coals'’ in this chapter. 

The coal-bearing rocks lie on an ancient erosion surface of con¬ 
siderable relief, consequently the base of the Pennsylvanian is ex¬ 
tremely uneven. Besides, the “Coal Measures” were deposited on two 
different formations in Montgomery county. West of a general north¬ 
east-southwest line extending from the southwest corner of the county, 
these overlie the St. Louis limestone known to the driller as the “Big 
Lime.” East of this line beds representing the Chester group are in¬ 
terposed between the “Coal Measures” and the “Big Lime”. In the 
Smith well, sec. 15, T. 7 N., R. 5 W., the Chester is only about 50 feet 
thick but it probably thickens towards the south and east, where it 
contains the oil sands of Carlyle, Sandoval, and the main fields of Illi¬ 
nois. The Chester is characterized by red or pink shales, thin lime¬ 
stones, and sandstones interbedded, and the top of the formation can 
usually be placed at the first limestone or red shale 250 to 300 feet be¬ 
low coal No. 6, and drilling for coal should be discontinued at this 
point. In the northwestern part of the county several hundred feet of 
solid Mississippian limestone underlie the coal rocks, and no coal ex^ 
ists below the top of this formation. 

In 1886 a number of wells were drilled into the Pottsville forma¬ 
tion near Litchfield, and both oil and gas were found. For a number 
of years the gas was used for lighting purposes, but the pressure de¬ 
creased and it was abandoned. Oil was pumped until about 1904 and 
sold for lubricating purposes. The field is similar in size and char¬ 
acter to that of Carlinville which is now producing oil and some gas 
commercially. The sandy nature of the beds forming the base of the 
“Coal Measures” renders them fit reservoirs for oil and gas where the 
geological structure is favorable. 


142 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


The following log of a drill hole in sec. 24, T. 12 N., R. 5 W. 
records all of the beds in the “Coal Measures” from the Carlinville 
limestone down to the base of the formation which overlies the St. 
Louis limestone. Coal No. 6 was reached at 342 feet, and the 3rfoot 
coal at 397 probably represents coal No. 5. The 4^4-foot bed is 571, 
together with the thinner bed 7 feet 9 inches below is probably to be 
correlated with coal No. 2 (Murphysboro). The base of the coal¬ 
bearing rocks is found at 763 feet. 


Record of George Hirsh well No. 5 
Location—SE. cor. NE.J4 sec. 24, T. 12 N., R. 5 W. 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 


Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Dirt . 

4 


4 


Clay . 

12 


16 


Sand and pebbles. 

10 


26 


Clay . 

9 


35 


Sand and pebbles. 

15 


50 


Limestone . 

11 


61 


Shale, dark . 

2 


63 


Shale, gray . 

13 


76 


Limestone, gritty (Carlinville). 

10 


86 


Shale, black . 

4 


90 


Shale, gray . 

88 


178 


Shale containing sand and mica. 

8 


186 


Shale, gray. 

9 


195 


Limestone, gritty . 

9 


204 


Shale, gray . 

71 


275 


Sandstone, hard . 

6 


281 


Shale, dark . 

1 


282 


Shale, gray . 

5 


287 


Shale, red . 

6 


293 


Shale, gray . 

16 


309 


Shale . 

3 


312 


Shale, gray. 

4 


316 


Stone, hard . 

4 


320 


Stone, gray. 

4 


324 

6 

Limestone . 

5 

8 

330 

2 

Shale, argillaceous . 

. . 

8 

330 

10 

Limestone . 


3 

331 

1 

Shale, argillaceous . 

1 

5 

332 

6 

Limestone . 

# # 

5 

332 

11 

Shale, argillaceous . 

1 

7 

334 

6 

Sandstone . 

3 

4 

337 

10 

Shale, argillaceous . 

. . 

10 

338 

8 

Limestone . 

2 


340 

8 

Shale, black . 

1 

8 

342 

4 

Coal (No. 6). 

8 

6 

350 

10 

Shale, trrav . 

3 


353 

10 


























































COUNTY REPORTS 


143 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 


Ft. In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Shale, white . 

1 2 

355 


Limestone . 

4 

359 


Shale, white . 

2 

361 


Limestone . 

2 8 

363 

8 

Shale, argillaceous . 

6 7 

370 

3 

Shale, gritty . 

3 9 

374 


Clav, blue . 

13 

387 

6 

Shale, black . 

9 6 

397 


Coal (No. 5). 

3 

400 


Shale, argillaceous . 

1 6 

401 

6 

Limestone .. 

9 

402 

3 

Shale, argillaceous. 

6 3 

408 

6 

Shale . 

1 

409 

6 

Coal . 

1 

409 

7 

Clav, blue, grittv. 

40 5 

450 


Shale, blue . 

13 3 

463 

3 

Shale, black . 

2 6 

465 

9 

Coal . 

2 9 

•468 

6 

Shale, argillaceous . 

5 4 

473 

10 

Coal . 

6 

474 

4 

Shale, gritty . 

17 8 

492 

. , 

Soap-clay . 

5 

497 

. . 

Shale, black . 

1 4 

498 

4 

Coal . 

1 6 

499 

10 

Shale, argillaceous . 

6 2 

506 

. . 

Shale, gray . 

7 

513 

. . 

Shale, black . 

8 6 

521 

6 

Coal . 

6 

522 

6 

Shale, argillaceous . 

2 10 

524 

10 

Limestone . 

1 3 

526 

1 

Shale, argillaceous . 

11 

527 

, . 

Coal . 

1 6 

528 

6 

Shale, white, argillaceous. 

5 6 

534 

9 

Shale, gritty . 

3 

537 

. . 

Shale, argillaceous . 

1 1 

538 

1 

Shale, dark . 

2 

540 

1 

Shale, calcareous . 

1 11 

542 

4 

Shale, argillaceous . 

5 6 

547 

6 

Clay, blue . 

18 6 

566 

• • 

Shale, black . 

5 3 

571 

3 

Coal . 

4 6 

575 

9 

Sandstone . 

6 6 

582 

3 

Coal. 


r 4 

582 

7 

Shale, black. 

No. 2 

11 

583 

6 

Coal. 


2 6 

586 

10 

Shale, black . 

2 4 

588 

4 

Shale, gritty, and sandstone. 

21 2 

609 

6 

Sandstone, argillaceous . 

.16 6 

626 

• • 

Shale-clay . 

2 ■ 

628 
































































144 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 


Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Sandstone, argillaceous . 

4 

• • 

632 


Shale, argillaceous . 

15 

6 

647 

6 

Shale, black . 

3 

6 

651 

• • 

Pyrites . 

• • 

8 

651 

8 

Clay, black . 

1 

4 

653 


Sandstone . 

24 


677 


Shale, gritty, and sandstone. 

6 


683 


Sandstone, argillaceous . 

5 


688 


Sandstone . 

2 


690 


Sandstone, argillaceous . 

1 


691 


Shale, black . 

2 


693 


Sandstone, argillaceous . 

9 


702 


Shale, black . 

16 


718 


Sandstone . 

. . 

6 

718 

6 

Shale, black . 

2 

6 

721 


Limestone . 

4 

• . 

725 


Shale, black. 

5 


730 


Sandstone containing lime. 

9 

t 

739 


Shale, black . 

3 

4 

743 


Shale, blue . 

9 

8 

751 


Sandstone . 

3 

2 

753 


Shale, gritty . 

7 

10 

763 


Lime, grittv . 

6 

10 

773 


Sandstone . 

• • 

10 

783 


Lime, grittv . 

• • 

20 

803 


Record of Singer well 

Peabody Coal Co. 



Location—sec. 4, T 

10 N., R. 2 W. 



Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 


Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Soil and clay. 

2 


2 


Soil and clay. 

8 


10 


Sand and gravel. 

20 


30 


Clay, tough, blue. 

19 


49 


Gravel, coarse . 

2 

• * 

51 


Limestone, hard, broken. 

6 


57 

• 

Limestone (New Haven). 

28 

6 

85 

6 

Sand shale . 

10 

6 

96 


Sand shale with blue shale partings. 

16 


112 


Sand shale . 

19 


131 


Shale, light blue . 

28 


159 


Shale, blue . 

10 


169 


Shale, black . 

1 


170 


Coal . 

• . 

4 

170 

4 

Shale, dark . 

4 

8 

175 


Shale, gray . 

1 

. . 

176 


Sandstone with blue shale partings. 

4 

. . 

180 


Shale, light blue, and sandstone. 

5 


185 





















































































COUNTY REPORTS 


145 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 


Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Shale, light blue. 

9 


194 


Shale, gray. 

2 


196 

# # 

Shale, dark. 

2 


198 


Shale, light blue. 

17 

7 

215 

7 

Sand shale . 

10 

6 

226 

1 

Shale, black . 

1 

6 

227 

7 

Coal . 

, . 

8 

228 

3 

Shale . 

3 


231 

3 

Lime shale . 

1 

9 

233 

. . 

Lime shale with limestone bands. 

5 


238 

, , 

Sandstone . 

1 

. # 

239 


Shale, light blue, with sand shale partings 

25 

. . 

264 

• • 

Shale, light blue. 

14 

6 

278 

6 

Sand shale . 

7 

6 

286 

. . 

Shale, blue, with sand bands. 

6 

. , 

292 

. . 

Shale, gray . 

2 

6 

294 

6 

Lime shale with nodules. 

2 

, ( 

296 

6 

Clay shale, dark. 

3 

6 

300 

• . 

Lime shale with limestone bands. 

6 

, c 

306 

• • 

Clay shale, dark, with limestone bands. . 

3 

. • 

309 

• • 

Limestone (Carlinville) . 

14 

• • 

323 

• . 

Shale, black . 

2 

8 

325 

8 

Coal . 

• . 

2 

325 

10 

Clay shale . 

3 

2 

329 

• • 

Clay shale, dark. 

1 

6 

330 

6 

Sandstone with blue shale partings. 

2 

6 

333 


Shale, light blue, with sandstone partings 

9 


342 


Shale, light blue. 

5 


347 


Shale, blue . 

13 


360 


Sandstone . 

13 


373 


Sandstone, dark . 

12 


385 


Shale, blue . 

. . 

6 

385 

6 

Limestone . 

1 

2 

386 

8 

Shale, black . 

6 

4 

393 

• . 

Coal . 

. . 

6 

393 

6 

Shale, dark blue. 

3 

6 

397 


Slate light blue . 

3 

8 

400 


Shale, dark blue. 

4 

4 

405 


Sand shale . 

5 

• • 

410 


Shale, blue, with sandstone partings.... 

38 

• • 

448 


Shale, blue, with hard bands. 

18 

. . 

466 


Shale, blue, with sandstone partings. 

9 

8 

475 

8 

Sandstone . 

1 

• • 

476 

8 

Shale, tough, blue. 

4 

4 

481 

• • 

Shale, blue . 

1 

10 

482 

10 

Coal . 

1 

1 

483 

11 

Fire clay .. 

1 

9 

485 

8 

Sandstone . 

13 

4 

503 

• • 

Sand shale . 

22 


525 



































































146 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Description of Strata 

Thickness' 

Depth 


Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Shale, dark blue. 

. 72 

5 

597 

5 

Sandstone . 

. 13 

10 

611 

3 

Shale, blue . 

. 2 

9 

614 

• • 

Limestone . 

. 4 

2 

618 

2 

Shale, blue and red. 

2 

10 

621 


Shale, black . 

. 2 

. . 

623 

.. • 

Shale, blue . 

. 1 

. . 

624 

• • 

Shale, dark blue. 

. 4 

5 

628 

5 

Coal (No. 7). 

. 2 

. . 

630 

5 

Shale, dark blue. 

. 8 

3 

638 

8 

Lime shale . 

. 3 

. . 

641 

8 

Limestone . 

. 2 

4 

644 

• • 

Shale, blue . 

. 3 

. . 

647 

• • 

Limestone . 

. 8 

. . 

655 

. . 

Slate, black . 

2 

10 

657 

10 

Coal . 

] 6 

5 

664 

3 

Sand, blue . 

No. 6 

1 

664 

4 

Coal . 

! i 

8 

666 

. . 

Fire clav . 

. 1 


667 



Geologic Structure 

In common with the rocks of adjoining areas, the underlying for¬ 
mations of Montgomery county have a general eastern dip. Along the 
western part of the county coal No. 6 lies from 250 to 300 feet above 
sea level; whereas along the eastern side the same bed is at sea level, 
showing a dip of slightly more than 10 feet per mile across the county. 
This dip is not uniform, however, and slight folds or even reversals of 
the dip are known in a few localities. 

The principal structural features in Montgomery county are the 
Hillsboro flat or terrace, the Sorento dome and the Ohlman anticline, 
all of which are described in an earlier part of this bulletin. The re¬ 
lation of the structure to oil and gas accumulation is treated in detail 
in Bulletin No. 28 by R. S. Blatchley. 

Local dips affecting small areas are found in some of the mines, 
but the general structure is too gentle to have much effect on mining 
conditions. Faults are infrequent and when present generally do not 
affect the coal more than the thickness of the bed. One such fault in 
the Panama mine of the Shoal Creek Coal Company is illustrated in 
figure 22. It is a north-south fracture about 2500 feet west of shaft 
and has been traced 1000 feet. 

The erosion channels which are well known in the county will be 
discussed under the subject “Distribution and thickness”. These 
channels are known to the miner as “faults” but gjnce the coal is ab- 





























COUNTY REPORTS 


147 


sent because of erosion rather than by reason of fracturing and dis¬ 
placement, the term “fault” is not applicable. 

Coal No. 6 

DISTRIBUTION AND THICKNESS 

I he main areas of coal No. 6 in Montgomery County are (1) the 
narrow portion at the northwest corner projecting northward between 
Christian and Macoupin counties, and (2) that part east of a north¬ 
east-southwest line roughly parallel to and a few miles west of the 
C. C. C. & St. L. R. R. Between these two areas is another of irregu¬ 
lar size and shape in which coal No. 6 is either thin or absent. The 
existence of the latter area has been known for several years, but 
hitherto no attempt has been made to outline it except in the most gen¬ 
eral manner. The lines on the large map indicate its boundaries as 
closely as they may be drawn with available information. Revision 
will be necessary from time to time, but the general shape and posi¬ 
tion of the area is believed to be represented correctly. So far as 



0 1 2 3 4 5 


Fig. 22.—Fault in Panama mine of Shoal Creek Coal Co. 1st W., north 
entry, 2500 feet from shaft. 

known it comprises parts or all of the following townships: T. 7 N., 
R. 5 W.; T. 8 N., Rs. 3, 4, and 5 W.; and T. 10 N., Rs. 2, 3, 4, and 5 W. 
It is not known whether the absence of the coal is due to lack of de¬ 
position or to erosion after deposition. At many places inside the area 
the bed is represented by a few inches, and in a very limited number 
of places, by its normal thickness. In the latter case, other holes 
nearby penetrate only a small amount of coal. 

The presence of so variable an amount of coal indicates either 
that most of the area stood higher than the surrounding swamp dur¬ 
ing Pennsylvanian time, and the coal was deposited only in pockets, or 


















































































148 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


that later a large drainage line with its tributaries occupied the area 
and removed most of the coal. Here and there coal No. 6 is absent, 
but its limestone cap rock has not been affected; however, many other 
logs show the absence of both coal and limestone, sandstone being pres¬ 
ent at the usual position of these beds. Such a condition seems clearly 
to indicate erosion after the deposition of the roof materials. 

It is possible and even probable that mineable areas of coal No. 6 
will be found inside the boundaries indicated on the map, but the lo¬ 
cation of such lands will be the result of the most careful diamond 
drilling and by the placing of holes less than J4 m ^ e apart. If, as is 
believed to be the case, an ancient drainage system occupied this part 
of the county, its tributary streams eroded the coal so that its present 
boundary is represented by an extremely irregular line which can be 
known accurately only after much more mining and drilling have been 
done. In this connection it is probable that the absence of the coal in 
places near Carlinville, Macoupin County, is the result of the same 
erosive processes that operated in Montgomery County, and it is also 
probable that the two areas are directly connected. 

On the east side of the barren zone the best-known tributary is a 
channel 1000 feet wide extending slightly east of south from the main 
area west of Hillsboro through the east side of mine 15, Peabody Coal 
Company, Taylor Springs, and probably southward at least to sec. 12, 
T. 7 N., R. 4 W. The coal was found at about the same level on both 
sides of the channel, there being no displacement of the beds. How¬ 
ever, this feature is known to the miner as a “fault” a term which he 
uses for any absence of the coal. On the east side of the channel al¬ 
most one mile southeast of the shaft, coal No. 6 in normal thickness 
lies only 20 feet lower than at the shaft. The western edge of the 
channel was reached in the 5th and 6th east stub entries off the 3rd 
northeast, and thus far it has been the practice to abandon the entries 
upon reaching the channel. By drilling three or four holes along a 
line extending in an east-west direction the Montgomery County Coal 
Company, previous owners of the mine found the channel to be about 
1800 feet wide. 

The east side of the same erosion channel was probably reached in 
the northwest workings of mine No. 1, Hillsboro Coal Company, NE. 
T /i sec. 12, T. 8 N., R. 4 W. From this point it is said to extend 
N. 35° E., but this direction appears to indicate only a minor bend in 
the course of the old stream since drill holes to the north indicate prac¬ 
tically a normal thickness of coal. It is believed that the channel ex¬ 
tends west from the Hillsboro mine and joins the main erosion area as 
indicated on the map. 


COUNTY REPORTS 


149 


Within the large “pockety” area shown on the map, most of the 
holes show no coal at the horizon of coal No. 6. Others record from 
a few inches to almost 4 feet. One hole drilled by the Wilmington 
Star Coal Company, SW. SW. sec. 2, T. 7 N., R. 5 W., reached 
8 feet of coal; another drilled close to the first by the same company 
penetrated only 6 feet of coal, but the measurement is not regarded re¬ 
liable. The general area in which the existence of the coal is uncer¬ 
tain is well known to the majority of operators, and doubtless many 
years will elapse before any large amount of drilling will be done 
where the chance of locating a commercial acreage is slight. 

In the mines of Montgomery County, coal No. 6 ranges in thick¬ 
ness from 6 feet to a little more than 9 feet, the average being 7 feet 
4 inches. In that part of the county including T. 11 and 12 N., Rs. 4 
and 5 W., the same bed averages 8 feet, and it is being mined only at 
Farmersville. 

East of the barren area the county is underlain by uniformly thick 
coal, most of which has been untouched by mining operations. Forty- 



Fig. 23.—Graphic sections of coal No. 6 from measurements made in mines 
of Montgomery Co. 

1. Shoal Creek Coal Co., No. 1, Panama. Room 1, 1st. south stub off 8th. 
west, south entry. 

2. Peabody Coal Co., No. 15, Taylor Springs. Entry face, 2nd. stub west 
off angle. 

3. Hillsboro Coal Co., No. 1, Hillsboro. Room 36, 6th. W. off main north. 













150 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


six drill holes distributed over the area show an average thickness of 
7 ]/2 feet for coal No. 6, a thickness which is about 6 inches greater 
than the average for the entire district covered by this report. 


PHYSICAL CHARACTER 

As seen at the face in the mines, the coal does not differ materially 
from that adjoining counties. Figure 23 shows the physical character 
of the coal. The three benches persist, the top coal attaining a thick¬ 
ness of 18 inches in a few places. It is not left for roof as regularly 
as in the Franklin-Williamson district, but at Panama it is not re¬ 
moved where black shale overlies the coal, as it does in about one r half 
of the mine. At the Hillsboro Coal Company’s mine No. 1 about 10 
inches of top coal is left to protect the shale which does not make a 
good roof. 

The coal is banded with pyrite, dirt, and charcoal, and its luster 
is in most places dull, although glance coal is harder than the higher 
is in most places dull, although glance coal is present in small layers. 
Ordinarily the bottom coal is harder than the higher benches, and in 
many places it is comparatively free from impurities. 

The following section was measured in mine No. 1, Shoal Creek 
Mining Company at Panama, and is typical of the bed in other mines 
of this county. 


Section of coal No. 6 measured in mine No. i, Shoal Creek Coal Mining 

Company, Panama 


Top coal . 

Pyrite streak . 

Coal, clean and hard. 

Charcoal and sulphur. 

Coal, clean . 

Charcoal . 

Coal, fairly clean . 

Dirt band . 

Coal dull. 

Dirt . 

Coal, dull with bright coal bands 

Dirt . 

Coal, dull and bright laminated. 

Sulphur . 

Coal, clean . 

Dirt . 

Coal, dirty . 

Sulphur . 

Coal, dirty . 


Thickness 
Ft. In. 

14 

7 

1 5 A 
2 / 

1 

1 1 

X 

4/ 

T A 

2 

35/ 8 

X 

53/ 

X 

33 / 

X 

5 























COUNTY REPORTS 


151 


Thickness 
Ft. In. 


Sulphur . .. y 2 

Coal, very dull and dirty. 1 

“Blue band”, shale, and black jack. 3 1 /2 

C oal, clean and hard, streaks of charcoal. 1 1^4 


7 Ks 

ROOF AND FLOOR 

Outside of the barren area described earlier in this chapter the 
cap rock of coal No. 6 is the usual limestone. At Panama throughout 
half of the mine limestone directly overlies the coal. Throughout the 
remainder of the mine is an intervening black shale which falls if ex¬ 
posed to the air. In order to protect this shale 10 to 14 inches of top 
coal is left in place. Otherwise the shale falls to the cap rock about 3 
feet above. In Dering mine No. 22 at Witt, about 18 inches of poorly 
bedded, calcareous shale underlies the cap rock in places; whereas 
elsewhere in the mine black shale as great as 5 feet in thickness oc¬ 
cupies this position. At mine No. 1, Hillsboro Coal Company, the so- 
called “white clod” attains a thickness of 5 feet in places; whereas the 
black shale is generally less than 2 feet thick. 

Figure 24 illustrates roof conditions in mine No. 1, Nokomis Coal 
Company, at Nokomis according to Mr. C. W. Smith, Mining Engineer 
for the company. On account of the heavy slates it was the original 
intention to drive wide entries and allow everything below the upper 
limestone to fall. Where work was begun, conditions were as shown 
in No. 1, but farther along the entry a thin bed of dirty coal was found 
in place of the carbonaceous shale and it became necessary to narrow 
the entries and to hold up all of the roof materials on account of the 
danger of mine fires. As shown in figure 25 the black shale probably 
grades laterally into coal. Whether it exists in small areas or over 
most of the mine depends on conditions at the time of deposition and 
can not be predicted. 

The limestone varies greatly, different reports assigning to it 
thicknesses between 1 and 15 feet. However, variable as it is, its 
strength is sufficiently great to provide an efficient roof. Most of the 
trouble experienced is the result of the inconstant character and the 
lack of cohesion exhibited by the materials between the limestone and 
the coal. Where it is convenient to leave the top coal in place it 
serves to protect the shales, and its own strength is sufficient to re¬ 
quire much less timbering than do the shales, if the top coal is re¬ 
moved. 






152 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


As has been mentioned in the chapter on Macoupin County that 
the limestone was eroded in the eastern part of the county by the same 
agencies that removed both limestone and coal further east along the 

1 


ZTTT 


El— 1- 


7=T= 


FFFF 


7FFT- 


& 


Limestone 
Gray shale (clod) 

Shaly Jimestone ^ 

Black carbonaceous 
shale^ 

Nodulardimestone 

shale between nodules 

BlaclCshale with_ 
pyrites and nigger heads 



Coal 


Blue band 


Limestone /sudden 

change from 
Black shale (gray to black 

Nodular limestone 

mixed with shale 


Very dirty coal 

Lime shale 
Black shale 


Coal 


Blue band 


Fig. 24.—Roof conditions Nokomis Coal Co., mine No. 1. (After C. W. 
Smith.) 


Montgomery County line, it is to be expected that near the old drain¬ 
age area roof conditions will be uncertain. 

In places both the limestone and black shale contain concretions 
known as “niggerheads,” which project downward into the coal and 
















































COUNTY REPORTS 


153 


tend to fall when the latter is removed. The concretions in the lime¬ 
stone are probably siliceous; whereas those in the shale are composed 
of lime carbonate. However, the black shale only rarely shows the 
presence of lime. 

Clay of variable thickness and character underlies the coal. At 
Panama a fairly constant thickness of 14 feet is reported. It is gray, 
sandy, and very hard when fresh, but slakes and heaves readily on ex¬ 
posure to the air and especially where water is present. Near the 
bottom of the clay, lime bowlders are common, and below these is a 
poorly bedded, impure limestone. In other mines of the county the 
underclay is reported to be variable, ranging in thickness from 18 
inches to as much as 12 feet, but its character is not favorable to comp 
mercial development. 

IRREGULARITIES IN ROOF AND FLOOR 

Attention has been called to the chief irregularity in roof coal and 
floor in the county, namely, the ancient drainage channel. Up to the 
present time their effect has been known chiefly in the mines immedi¬ 
ately south and southwest of Hillsboro. Small channels a few hun¬ 
dred feet wide can be crossed by entries at no great cost, but if a shaft 
happens to be placed near the edge of a large channel, the area of 
mining operations is limited to one side of the eroded area. It is prob¬ 
able that future mines located near the edges of the barren area will 
discover tributary channels of different sizes, the existence of which 
can not be ascertained from present drill holes. 

The real faults in the mines are insignificant. They are minor 
fractures along which slight movement has occurred, but the displace¬ 
ment does not ordinarily exceed the thickness of the coal. 

Other Coals 

The only coal of commercial importance above coal No. 6 is coal 
No. 7 which lies about 30 feet higher. Coal No. 7 is generally thin, 
but in T. 10 N., Rs. 1 and 2 W. most of the holes indicate a thickening 
which is apparently local. A number of drillers report from 2 feet 
to 2 feet 9 inches for the bed, and in sec. 36 a thickness of 3 feet 2 
inches is recorded, although the latter is from a churn-drill record and 
is somewhat uncertain. 

The only coal utilized in the county besides coal No. 6 is a bed 
averaging 4 feet 8 inches in thickness about 240 feet below coal No. 6 
and mined by the Litchfield Coal Company, NE. % sec. 23, T. 9 N., 
R. 5 W. The bed is in the proper position to be correlated with coal 
No. 2 (Murphysboro), although it may be slightly older. David 
White regards it distinctly Pottsville in age which would place it be- 


154 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


low coal No. 2. Definite correlation must be postponed until more 
deep drilling is done. This is the only mine located in the area from 
which coal No. 6 has been eroded, and it was necessary to operate the 
best lower bed. The coal lies 690 feet below the surface at the mine 
and dips 3 degrees northwest and away from the anticline or the arch¬ 
ing of the beds which was probably responsible for the oil and gas ac¬ 
cumulation southeast of Litchfield. The coal is in one bench and 
varies from 26 inches to a maximum of 84 inches. It is streaked with 
layers of pyrite generally not exceeding *4 inch thick, but larger 
amounts are not unknown. Its chemical analysis is not unlike that for 
coal No. 6, and its dissimilarity to the typical Murphysboro coal ren¬ 
ders its correlation with that bed doubtful. The roof consists of 
“clod”, poorly bedded calcareous shale, or gray shale; the former at¬ 
tains a thickness of 3 feet, and at least 10 feet of the latter appears in 
parts of the mine. Above both of these materials is a limestone from 
1 to 5 feet thick. The contact of the roof with the coal is uneven, the 
rolls here and there extending down within 2 feet from the floor. At 
a depth of 704 feet, the same coal 4 feet 10 inches thick is reported in 
a drill hole in the SE. cor. NE. J4 sec. 29, T. 9 N., R. 5 W., and the 
Felpers well drilled by the Producers Oil Company in the SW. l /\ sec. 
29, T. 8 N., R. 5 W. passed through a similar bed 4 feet thick at 575 
feet. 

Three other coal horizons are reported between coals No. 2 (?) 
and No. 6. From 25 to 50 feet below coal No. 6 a number of the 
deeper holes show a coal which ranges in thickness from 8 inches to 3 
feet and probably represents coal No. 5. From 30 to 60 feet lower, 
another horizon is prominent, especially in holes drilled in T. 9 N., 
R. 5 W. At this horizon the coal consists either of a single bed 3 or 4 
feet thick or of two benches separated by a few feet of shale. The 
upper is said to vary from 2 feet 4 inches to 3 feet 8 inches in thick¬ 
ness. In the same township, 40 or 50 feet below the beds last men¬ 
tioned, are several thin beds separated by small partings of shale, the 
group being about 100 feet above the horizon of coal No. 2. Since 
the various coals enumerated above are reported from drill holes in 
a small area, and the intervals between the beds are so variable, defi¬ 
nite correlations are impossible. It is at least encouraging to know 
that, although coal No. 6 is absent over a large area in Montgomery 
County, other beds of possible commercial value exist lower in the 
coal-bearing rocks, and it is still more encouraging to know that at 
Litchfield one of these lower beds has been, and is being, mined. Such 
deep drilling as has been done indicates that sometime in the future, 
when most of coal No. 6 is mined, further tests will be made of the 
thickness and character of the coals within the 250-foot zone below 


COUNTY REPORTS 


155 


coal No. 6. It will be necessary to use the core drill in order to make 
careful studies of the physical and chemical character of the various 
beds. 


ST. CLAIR COUNTY 
Production and Mines 

Production in tons for year ended June 30, 1913. .. 4,740,212 


Production in tons, 1908 to 1913.21,621,533 

Total production, 1881 to 1913.77,532,658 


During the year ended June 30, 1913, St. Clair County produced 
7.6 per cent of the State’s entire output. The position of the county 
with respect to the large markets of the St. Louis region, has been a 
most important factor in keeping St. Clair in the front rank of coal 
producers. As late as 1911, this county was first in rank, a place it 
has occupied seven different times between 1881 and 1912. During 
1912-1913, it ranked fifth owing to large increases in Williamson, San¬ 
gamon, Franklin, and Macoupin counties. 

Of the 65 mines operating, only 10 produced more than 100,000 
tons each. Fifteen local mines were responsible for 102,660 tons of 
the total production. 

Below is the list of mines shipping in 1913. 




Table 10. —List of shipping mines, St. Clair County, 1913 


156 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


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Table 10 .—Continued 


COUNTY REPORTS 


157 


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158 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


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COUNTY REPORTS 


159 


is 


bor a detailed report on mining practices in this county the reader 
referred to S. O. Andros: 111. Coal Mining Investigation, Bull. 4. 


Coal-bearing Rocks 

T he coal-bearing beds cover approximately the eastern three quar¬ 
ters of St. Clair County. The line of outcrop of the basal beds exr 
tends north and south about 3 miles west of Millstadt, is parallel to, 
and a short distance west of, the Mississippi bluffs from a point 2 miles 
southwest of Centerville to Alton, and leaves the county about 7 miles 
northwest of the latter city. The outcrop line is obscured by glacial 
drift, which varies in thickness from 50 to 150 feet; and the underly¬ 
ing rocks are exposed only where streams have removed the surface 
deposits. West of the line of outcrop of the “Coal Measures”, the 
Mississippian group constitutes the bed-rock of the county, and the 
same beds underlie the “Coal Measures” in the eastern part of St. 
Clair. The coal-bearing rocks consist of shales, sandstones, and a 
minor amount of limestone; whereas the Mississippian beds are largely 
limestone and interbeddecl shales and sands. 

Immediately beneath the coal-bearing beds is a group of forma¬ 
tions called the Chester which consists of red shales, sandstones, and 
limestones interbeddecl. In a general way this group thickens east¬ 
ward where as much as 600 feet are known in drill records. Its most 
conspicuous feature is the red shale which lies at different horizons 
throughout the group, and in drilling the Chester may be recognized 
as soon as one of these shales is penetrated. These beds are not to be 
confused with the thin pink to red shale noted in many places about 50 
feet above coal No. 6. The Chester contains the oil sands at Carlyle, 
about 18 miles east of the St. Clair-Clinton county line, a detailed report 
of which by E. W. Shaw was published by the Illinois State Geological 
Survey in Extracts from Bulletin 20. 

The following log by the P. H. Postel Milling Company at Mas- 
coutah represents the deepest boring in the county, and indicates the 
nature of the beds underlying the area covered in the report. 


Record of P. H. Postel Milling Co., well No. i 
Location—sec. 32, T. 1 N., R. 6 W. 


Description of Strata 

Loess . 

Quicksand . 

Sand, white . 

Sand, gravel and other drift. 

Limestone. 

Shale, hard, coaly. 

Limestone . 


Thickness 

Depth 

Feet 

Feet 

30 

30 

5 

35 

5 

40 

64 

104 

8 

112 

30 

142 

3 

145 









160 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Description of Strata Thickness Depth 

Feet Feet 

Coal (No. 6). 6 151 

Shale . 15 166 

“Soapstone” . 10 176 

Shale . 25 201 

Coal (No. 5). 5 206 

Shale, white . 50 256 

Shale, blue . 40 296 

Shale, white . 45 341 

Red rock . 45 386 

Shale . 35 421 

Shale “cave”. 113 544 

Limestone . 5 549 

Sandstone . 45 584 

Shale . 25 609 

Limestone . 20 629 

Red rock, probably a hard, calcareous shale. 55 684 

Shale, white . 20 704 

Sandstone (Benoist sand of driller?). 20 724 

Limestone . 460 1184 

“Shale rock” . 420 1604 

Limestone, shaly . 390 1994 

Marl, red . 70 2064 

Limestone . 126 2190 

“Shale rock” . 127 2317 

Limestone . 449 2766 

“Shale rock” . 58 2824 

Limestone . 10 2834 

Shale and limestone. 54 2888 

Sandstone and some shale. 219 3107 


Coal No. 6, otherwise known as the Belleville coal, noted in the 
foregoing record at 145 feet, outcrops in the bluffs of the Mississippi, 
and because of its thickness and accessibility, it was among the first 
coals to be mined in the State. With the other beds it dips eastward 
at the rate of about 12p2 feet per mile, and at Belleville it is reached 
by shafts at an average depth of about 100 feet, or 400 feet above sea 
level. The east dip continues to be effective towards Mascoutah, but 
because the surface of the ground also slopes eastward, the coal bed is 
only slightly more than 150 feet deep at Mascoutah. The deepest 
mine is located in the NE. cor. sec. 25, T. 1 N., R. 6 W., and is operat¬ 
ed by the Breese-Trenton Mining Company. In it the coal is 345 
feet below the surface. 

Since 100 to 150 feet of glacial drift exists, only a small amount 
of the Pennsylvanian above coal No. 6 is present. It consists of shale 
and a few thin beds of limestone, the most important of which over- 
lies the coal and forms its cap rock. Above the roof limestone there 
are generally from 10 to 20 feet of calcareous and sandy shales, which 































COUNTY REPORTS 


161 


are overlain by a limestone of variable thickness, but exhibit more 
regular bedding than the layer above the coal. 

In southwestern Madison County and in parts of St. Clair coal 
No. 7 is found beneath the upper limestone, but according to Worthen, 
shale occupies this horizon at Belleville. The other limestones in the 
“Coal Measures” are more or less local in development and can not 
be traced over large areas. 

Below the Belleville coal, the Pennsylvanian beds are extremely 
variable in thickness and character. At Millstadt coal No. 6 lies only 
25 feet above the Chester beds, whereas at Marissa about 300 feet of 
“Coal Measures” rocks underlie this bed, data which show the irregu¬ 
larity of the surface upon which the coal-bearing rocks were deposit¬ 
ed. Sandy beds are more prevalent in the lower portion of this 
series, but they can not be correlated from one hole to another. 

Below is the log of a hole at Marissa, in sec. 27, T. 3 S., R. 6 W. 
Coal No. 6 lies at a depth of 88 feet, and the top of the Chester is 
found at a depth of 304 feet. 


Drill record of Consolidated Coal Co. 

Location—SE. y A NW.^ sec. 27, T. 3 S., R. 6 W. 


Description of Strata 


Soil. 

Shale . 

Coal . 

Rock and shale. 

Coal (No. 6). 

Fire clay . 

Limestone, blue . 

Shale, white . 

Shale, white, or sandstone.... 

Shale, black . 

Fire clay . 

Shale . 

Shale, black . 

Coal . 

Clay, hard, gray. 

Coal . 

Fire clay . 

Sandstone, white, (salt water). 

Fire clay . 

Sandstone . 

Fire clay . 

Limestone . 

Shale, blue. 

Limestone rock . 

“Soapstone”, red . 

Limestone. 


Thickness 

Depth 

Feet 

Feet 

44 

44 

6 

50 

2 

52 

36 

88 

6 

94 

10 

104 

6 

110 

17 

127 

24 

151 

8 

159 

4 

163 

58 

221 

7 

228 

w 

229p2 

7 

236 

4 

240 

8 

248 

14 

262 

20 

282 

10 

292 

12 

304 

29 

333 

71 

404 

50 

454 

15 

469 

48 

517 




























162 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Description of Strata Thickness Depth 

Feet Feet 

Shale . 4 521 

Limestone . 27 548 

“Soapstone” . 10 558 

“Soapstone” . 10 568 

Limestone, very hard . 27 59t> 

“Soapstone” . 13 608 

Sand, white, (salt water and oil). 23 631 

Limestone, dark, gray, very porous (gas). 33 664 

Shale . 10 674 

Limestone . 20 694 

Shale. 4 698 

“Soapstone”, red . 3 701 

Limestone . 22 723 

“Soapstone”, red . 11 734 

Limestone rock . 25 759 

Clay, red . 25 784 

Sandstone, dark . 4 788 

Clay, red . 10 798 

Shale ... 1 799 


Geologic Structure 

The geologic structure has been determined from the position of 
coal No. 6 in outcrops, mine shafts, and drill holes. The bed out¬ 
crops in the bluffs of the Mississippi at an elevation of about 470 feet 
and dips eastward at an average rate of 15 feet per mile. The dip is 
not uniform over all the county but is modified by small folds, the 
most important of which are known as the Belleville-O’Fallon and the 
Darmstadt anticlines. As described earlier in this bulletin, the axis 
of the former fold extends from a point about a mile east of Belle¬ 
ville slightly east of north, passes about ^4 mile west of O’Fallon, 
continues northeast about 2 miles, and loses its identity in that direc¬ 
tion. The top of the fold is relatively flat and broad, and the dips so 
gentle that they are scarcely noticeable in mining. Just north of 
Belleville the anticline is almost 5 miles wide. 

The Darmstadt anticline has been described by E. W. Shaw of 
the U. S. Geological Survey in Bulletin 20, Ill. State Geological Sur¬ 
vey. The detailed description of the fold is quoted from Mr. Shaw 
in Part I of the present report. The fold is highest near Darmstadt 
where the coal lies 297 feet above sea level and dips north, west, and 
east, but its position to the south is unknown. It is probable that the 
fold extends northeast at least to the high area at Venedy, also des¬ 
cribed by Mr. Shaw. 

At the southeast corner of the county in sec. 35, T. 3 S., R. 6 W. 
the coal stands higher than to the northeast or southeast. Its exten- 





















COUNTY REPORTS 


163 


sion towards the southwest and northeast is unknown, but Mr. Shaw 
regards the high area in sec. 35 as a part of the White Oak anticline. 
Further drilling will be necessary in order correctly to describe its 
limits. Except for fracture planes along which there has been slight 
movement, the mines are free from faults. Local sags and hills are 
not infrequently found, but thus far, they do not appear to be part of 
any system of well-developed folds. Such irregularities are described 
fully under subject, “Roof and Floor”. 

Coal No. 6 

DISTRIBUTION AND THICKNESS 

Coal No. 6 underlies approximately the eastern three-fourths of 
St. Clair County. Its actual outcrop line is obscured by glacial drift 
except along the bluffs of the Mississippi where it has been mined by 
slopes for many years. The outcrop enters the north side of the 
county in the eastern part of sec. 6 , T. 2 N., R. 8 W., runs southwest 
along the bluffs to sec. 7. T. 1. N., R. 9. W., thence southeast to the 
center of sec. 1, T. 1 S., R. 9 W., from which point it swings westward 
around Millstadt, and then in a general southeast direction to the 
south boundary line, which it crosses at the southwest corner sec. 33, 
T. 3 S., R. 6 W. South of the point at which it leaves the bluffs, its 
position has been determined from drill holes and mines, and al¬ 
though the line as shown on the map may require revision as later in¬ 
formation becomes available, it is believed to be very nearly correct. 
East of this line the county is probably underlain by a solid bed of 
coal of commercial thickness. Detailed measurements have been 
made by survey men in 51 mines located in St. Clair County, and the 
average thickness obtained for coal No. 6 is 6 feet 9 inches, the indi¬ 
vidual measurements ranging from 5 feet to 8 feet. The same bed in 
28 drill holes shows an average of 6^2 feet, but since most of the holes 

were made by the churn drill, less confidence is placed in the latter 

* 

figures than in the actual mine measurements. 

The proximity of so valuable a coal to the surface near the out¬ 
crop has stimulated mining by stripping methods. In the vicinity of 
Millstadt a considerable area is underlain by coal No. 6 , the overbur¬ 
den being less than 35 feet, and the combination of these favorable 
conditions with large markets nearby has by steam-shovel stripping 
developed a production that reached 15,200 tons in 1913. 

The mines of the county are located near the outcrop and along 
the Baltimore and Ohio and the Louisville and Nashville railroads, 
which run east and west through the northern half of the county. 


164 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 



Fig. 25.—Stripping mine, 
Fuel Co.) 


Fischer Fuel Co., Millstadt (Photo by Fischer 



Fig. 26.—Fischer Fuel Co., stripping mine, Millstadt, showing method of 
removing overburden. (Photo by Fischer Fuel Co.) 









COUNTY REPORTS 


165 


PHYSICAL CHARACTER 

Coal No. 6 exhibits its usual three benches, but the top coal is 
seldom left for roof. 

Figure 27 shows the physical character of the coal in some of the 
mines of St. Clair County. According to Worthen the top coal was 
mined separately in former years and was sold as blacksmith coal at 2 



4 



5 



f E , ET 


5 . 


□~~T~ 


Limestone 


Shate 


Floor clay 
S 

Sulphur 

D 

Dirt 

B 

Bone 

BB 

Blue band 


Fig. 27.—Graphic sections of coal No. 6 from measurements made in St. 
Clair County. 

1. Joseph Taylor Coal Co., Taylor mine, O’Fallon. Face 4th. N. off E. 

2. St. Louis and O’Fallon Coal Co., No. 2, French Village. Face main 
south. 

3. Superior Coal and Mining Co., Superior mine, Ogle. Face main north, 
3200 feet from shaft. 

4. Southern Coal, Coke and Mining Co., No. 8, Shiloh. Room 8, 6th. 
south, west entry. 

5. Borders Coal Co., Borders mine, Marissa. Room 8, 6th. E. off N. 


cents per bushel more than that from the lower part of the bed. It 
varies in thickness from one foot to about 24 inches, and in most places 
it is the purest coal in the bed. At Lebanon the top coal is thinner and 
consists largely of “bone/’ which is discarded with an overlying 4-inch 
“draw slate.” The condition is probably local and affects only a small 
area. 

The middle bench which constitutes the largest part of the bed, is 
usually a somewhat duller coal and contains numerous streaks of dirt, 

























166 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


pyrite, and charcoal. The “blue band” is a persistent impurity 1 or 2 
inches thick and consists chiefly of gray or black shale and some py¬ 
rite. In a few places it exists in two streaks separated by an inch or 
two of coal. 

The bottom coal ranging in thickness from 12 to 24 inches or 
more is variable in character, its quality depending upon the amount 
of dirt disseminated throughout the coal mass. In places the bottom 
coal is scarcely more than a carbonaceous shale, but in others it has 
about the same quality as the middle bench. 

Flakes of gypsum and calcite fill many of the cleavage planes and 
in some of the mines are very conspicuous at the face of the coal. 

ROOF AND FLOOR 

In this county the usual materials above coal No. 6 are black 
shale and limestone, the former existing as lenses between the cap rock 
and the coal. Both kinds of roof are extremely variable in thickness. 
Even in the same mine the shale may range from an inch to 6 or 8 
feet. 

In the Shiloh mine of the Southern Coal and Mining Company 
the black shale is present over part of the mine and reaches a thick¬ 
ness of 3 feet. It is laminated and full of seams or small fracture 
planes that extend into the overlying limestone. It is blocky and falls 
in masses which break into cubes. Nodules of limestone and siderite 
are found in the shale, and clod lies between the shale and the lime¬ 
stone. The latter is a dark-gray, compact stone about 12 feet thick, 
showing distinct bedding into benches which the miner calls “lifts”. 
Between the bedding planes there is here and there a thin layer of 
shale as a parting. Small “slip” planes exist in the limestone, as well 
as in the shale, and displacements of 5 or 6 inches are not uncommon ; 
the roof, therefore, has a tendency to break easily, aided as it is by the 
water which finds its way to the channel afiforded by the slips. In 
the Taylor mine at O’Fallon there is no shale roof on the east side 
and but little on the west, but where present it contains many small 
slips and is difficult to hold in place. 

The limestone roof is bedded, and the two lowest benches tend to 
fall easily. The first ledge, 2 to 6 inches thick, generally drops as 
soon as the props are removed. The second ledge falls only occasion¬ 
ally, and the main body of the cap rock, which forms an efficient roof, 
is reported to be about 12 feet thick. Its thickness over the county 
is extremely variable but averages a little less than 10 feet. Where 
the limestone overlies the coal the contact is usually uneven, and the 
irregularities are filled with clod which tends to fall easily. As a 
whole, the roof conditions are very similar to those of Madison County 


COUNTY REPORTS 


167 


which are described and illustrated from photographs in the chapter 
on the county. Figure 28 shows the relation of the limestone to the 
shale over a fracture in the coal at the St. Louis and O’Fallon Coal 
Company’s Cameron mine. 

As a rule the floor clay in St. Clair County is thin, many of the 
mines reporting only 1 or 2 feet of this material. In some places it is 
absent and the coal rests on an impure limestone of marine origin, 
which here and there according to Worthen contains an abundance of 
fossils. 



Scale in feet 


0 1 2 3 4 5 

Fig. 28.—Fold in limestone above fault. St. Louis and O’Fallon Coal Co., 
Cameron. (Main south entry, 700 feet from shaft.) 

At Shiloh, a typical mine, the floor is a darkrgray clay. The 
upper 18 inches is fairly soft, and the lower part contains bowlders 
which vary greatly in size. It heaves especially when wet. At the 
time of examination in an abandoned entry places were seen where 
the floor had heaved as much as 3 feet, and the pillars had been 
pressed down to the underlying limestone. The nature of the clay 
and its variable thickness do not lend strength to the belief that it 
might be valuable commercially. A few samples collected in the dis¬ 
trict are now being tested with others from different parts of the State, 
and a report will be issued as a separate bulletin later. 

IRREGULARITIES IN ROOF AND FLOOR 

The county is remarkably free from major disturbances in coal, 
roof, and floor. The small irregularities accompanied the adjust- 































































































168 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


ments incidental to the settling of the coal and the overburden. The 
shale and the limestone, and in places the coal, show minor slip planes 
or slickensides that tend to cause roof weakness. In many places 
these slips are not discernible before the fall takes place, and for this 
reason, they are most dangerous. Figure 29 shows the nature of a 
fracture plane which has been filled with clay. In no mine has the 
displacement of the bed been sufficiently large to affect seriously min¬ 
ing methods. 


i i i ~i-r .i i i -1-—' i " 

J 1 1 1 1 1 TZTTNTN 


| | | |- 1 — LiinLvzwivv —|--|-- 1 - 





Scale in feet 


0 1 2 3 4 5 

Fig. 29. —Fracture filled with clay. Southern Coal, Coke and Mining Co., 
Shiloh. (Main west entry.) 

Other Coals 

Very little is known regarding the existence of coals below No. 6 
in this county. Worthen reports a 3-foot coal below No. 6 in the 
river bluffs at the old Pittsburg mines, 1 mile north of Centerville 
station. It is overlain by bituminous shale and 3 feet of impure, 
brown limestone, and probably represents coal No. 5. The same bed 
5 feet thick is reported at the Postel well in Mascoutah where it is 
50 feet below coal No. 6. 

St. Clair County lies near the west edge of the coal basin, and it 
is probable that the coals below No. 6 are very irregular. The sur¬ 
face upon which the Pennsylvanian rocks were deposited was very 
uneven, and in western St. Clair county, there are places at which the 
interval between coal No. 6 and the Chester beds below is only 20 or 
30 feet. Figure 30 is an ideal sketch showing the relation of the coal¬ 
bearing strata to the old land surface. In the vicinity of Marissa two 
holes penetrated a coal below the horizon of coal No. 5, although the 
latter is not present. In sec. 21, T. 3 S., R. 6 W. a 2-foot coal lies 110 

































































































COUNTY REPORTS 


169 


feet below the Belleville bed, and in sec. 27 of the same township a 
4-foot coal lies 148 feet below coal No. 6. It is overlain by 7 feet of 
hard, gray clay or shale, above which is an 18-inch bed of coal. No 
other logs in the county record these beds, and any attempt at correlation 
would be futile. 



Fig. 30.—Sketch showing relation of “Coal Measures” to ancient erosion 
surface, St. Clair County. 


It is probable that future exploration will disclose commercial 
coals below coal No. 6, but the minable areas will undoubtedly be small 
and disconnected. Test holes for the lower coals should be continued 
to a depth of 250 feet below coal No. 6, but if limestones and red 
shales are penetrated before reaching this depth, further drilling will 
be useless because the underlying Chester beds will have been reached. 

PERRY, RANDOLPH, AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES 

Production and Mines 

PERRY COUNTY 


Production in tons for year ended June 30, 1913. . 1,634,043 

Average annual production, 1908 to 1913. 1,506,365 

Total production, 1881 to 1913.26,918,284 

RANDOLPH COUNTY 

Production in tons for year ended June 30, 1913. . 712,058 

Average annual production, 1908 to 1912. 977,039 

Total production, 1881 to 1913.13,618,584 

WASHINGTON COUNTY 

Production in tons, year ended June 30, 1913. 246,932 

Average annual production, 1908 to 1912. 100,949 

Total production, 1881 to 1913. 1,829,468 





























170 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Perry County has long been an important coal producer. During 
1912-1913 its output equaled 2.6 per cent of that of the entire State. 
In considering Perry County as a unit, the writer treats also that part 
of the county east of the Duquoin anticline which is really closely as¬ 
sociated with Franklin and Williamson counties in District VI of 
the Investigations. In his bulletin on mining practice Mr. S. O. 
Andros has separated the mines on the basis of their location east or 
west of the fold; but in this record of coal resources it is almost im¬ 
possible to locate the axis definitely, especially north of Duquoin, and 
it is believed that the advantage of setting down the information for 
the entire county more than ofifsets the disadvantage of the slight over¬ 
lap. 

In 1913 twenty-three mines were operating, well distributed over 
the county except in the north central part which lacks railroad facili¬ 
ties. All are working coal No. 6 by shafts except two near Duquoin 
where the proximity of the coal to the surface has made strip mining 
possible. Below is given the list of shipping mines in Perry County 
in 1913. 


COUNTY REPORTS 


171 




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172 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Only about one-fourth of Randolph County is underlain by coal 
No. 6, but 23 mines added 712,058 tons to the State’s production in 
1913. All of the mining is done by shaft from coal No. 6. The 
writer is greatly indebted to Mr. Thomas Jeremiah of Willisville for 
details regarding the outcrop of the coal in the vicinity of Percy and 
Willisville. 


Table 12. — List of shipping mines, Randolph County, IQ 13 


Company 



V 


_c 




o 

£ 

a 

a: 


Location 


1 / 

/4 




o 

HI 

C/2 


m 

H 




> 

HI 


U 

P 

in 


VO 

6 

a! 

O 

o 


a 

HI 


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o 

£ 

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O 

HI 

a 

o 


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US 

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C 

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o\ 


c 

0 

u 

p 

T3 

O 









Feet 

Feet 

Feet 

Ft. In. 

Tons 

Willis Coal 
and Min¬ 
ing- Co. 

Goalby 
No. 6 


NE 

14 

6 

5 

493 

82 

411 

6 . . 

269,110 

Jones Bros. 
Coal Min¬ 
ing Co. 

Eureka 
No. 2 

NW 

NW 

6 

4 

5 

518 

194 

324 

6 10 

103,509 

Wilson Bros. 












Coal Co. 

7 

NW 

NW 

8 

5 

5 

500? 

140 

360 

6 . . 

78,306 

Illinois Fuel 












Co. 

4 

NE 

NW 

16 

5 

5 

512 

66 

446 

6 . . 

75,600 

Moffat Coal 












Co. 

1 

SE 

NE 

8 

5 

5 

523 

123 

400 

6 . . 

74,318 

Bessemer 

Coal & 
Mining Co. 

Crystal 

SW 

NE 

6 

4 

5 

512 

205 

307 

6 . . 

27,813 

Bessemer 

Coal & 
Mining Co. 

Tilden 

SW 

NE 

6 

4 

5 

512 

180 

332 

6 6 

26,805 

Underwood 
Coal & 
Mining Co. 


SE 

NW 

10 

4 

5 

524 

186 

338 

6 . . 

23,164 

Randolph 

County 

Coal Co. 

O. M. 

NE 

NW 

13 

4 

5 

545 

300 

245 

6 6 

13,932 

Boyd Coal & 












Coke Co. 

1 

_ 

SW 

SW 

1 

5 

6 

526 

94 

432 

6 . . 

7,426 


Washington County produced 246,932 tons of coal in 1913, of 
which 200,445 tons was hoisted at mine No. 5, Centralia Coal Com¬ 
pany, sec. 25, T. 1 N., R. 1 W. The remaining 44,137 tons were pro¬ 
duced at Nashville and at Dubois. All are shaft mines ranging in 
depth from 300 to 526 feet, and all are operating in coal No. 6. 



















































COUNTY REPORTS 


173 


Table 13. — List of shipping mines, Washington County, 1913 


Map No. 

Company 

| 

Mine 

Location 

Surf. elev. 

Depth to coal No. 6 

Alt. top coal No. 6 

Average thickness 

Production 1913 

34 

34 

Sec. 

H 

1 R. W. 









Feet 

Feet 

Feet 

Ft. In. 

Tons 

1 

Centralia 













Coal Co. 

5 

SE 

NE 

25 

IN 

1 

497 

520 

-23 

6 6 

200,445 


Nichol- 













son Coal 













Co. 

Nashville 


NE 








36,844 

3 

Kuhn 













Coal Co. 

Dubois 



33 

3S 

1 

490 

295 

195 

5 6 

7,293 


Coal-bearing Rocks 

The coal-bearing beds underlie all of Perry and Washington coun¬ 
ties and the eastern third of Randolph County. They are known not 
only by studies of mine shafts but also from about 100 drill holes dis¬ 
tributed by counties as follows: Perry 67, Washington 16, and Ran¬ 
dolph 17. Most of the holes in Perry County were put down as coal 
tests, only 7 being oil holes; those of Washington are divided about 
equally between shallow and deep, and most of those in Randolph 
were drilled into the lower rocks for oil. 

The outcrop of the “Coal Measures” is largely obscured by the 
glacial drift, but it has been traced from the western part of T. 7 S., 
R. 5 W. in a general northwest direction through Randolph County, 
intersecting the northern boundary in the eastern part of T. 4 S., R. 7. 
W. From the outcrop the beds dip northeast and since the surface 
remains comparatively level, a thickening of the coairbearing strata 
takes place in this direction. In Ashley township more than 1000 feet 
of these beds are present, and farther northeast the thickness is still 
greater. At all places in the area the “Coal Measures” rest uncon,- 
formably upon the Chester, which consists of interbedded limestones, 
sandstones, and red shales. 

In Randolph County the coal is shallow except in the northeast 
corner near Coulterville where it is slightly more than 300 feet below 
the surface. The glacial drift of gravel, clays, and sands averages 
about 80 feet, consequently only a small amount of the Pennsylvanian 
rocks remains above the Belleville bed. A thin bed of coal represent¬ 
ing coal No. 7 is in most places found 30 or 40 feet above coal No. 6, 
and the limestone cap rock over the latter coal is usually recorded in 
the logs. The following section is given by Worthen 6 as typical of 

c Worthen, A. H., Geology of Randolph County: Ill. State Geol. Survey, vol. I, p. 
281, 1866. 

































174 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


the beds that are exposed in the county near the western boundary of 
the “Coal Measures”. 


Wort hen's section of coal-bearing rocks near western boundary in 

Randolph County 


Feet 

Micaceous sandstone and shale. 30 - 40 

Limestone . 3 

Shale . 12 

Limestone-bituminous shale, in place replacing each other. 4- 6 

Coal No. 6 (Belleville). 6 - 8 

Shale or shaly sandstone. 30 - 40 

Limestone . 3 - 4 

Shale, bituminous. 3- 5 

Coal No. 5. 2- 4 

Fire clay ... 2 - 4 

Shale and sandstone (conglomerate). 50 - 150 


In the following log of a well located in NW. l /± SW. %. sec. 6, 
T. 5 S., R. 5 W., the base of the “Coal Measures” is found at 493 feet. 
A bed of coal 4 feet thick lies 5 feet below coal No. 6. A similar coal 
is reported in 6 other logs from Randolph County; but all the holes 
were made by the churn drill, and the thickness is not reliable. The 
interval between coal No. 6 and this reported bed varies from 5 feet 
to 20 feet. 


Record of Sparta City well, No. 3 
Location—NW.*4 SW.J4 sec. 6, T. 5 S., R. 5 W., Randolph County 


Description of Strata 

Drift . 

Limestone . 

Coal (No. 7). 

Limestone . 

“Soapstone” . 

Sandstone . 

Shale . 

Limestone . 

Coal (No. 6). 

Fire clay . 

Limestone . 

Coal . 

Limestone . 

Shale . 

Limestone . 

Coal . 

Sandstone . 

Shale . 

Limestone . 


Thickness 

Depth 

Feet 

Feet 

99 

99 

10 

109 

2 

111 

11 

122 

2 

124 

3 

127 

5 

132 

17 

149 

6 

155 

2 

157 

3 

160 

4 

164 

40 

204 

13 

217 

26 

243 

2 

245 

117 

362 

3 

365 

7 

372 
































COUNTY REPORTS 


175 


Description of Strata 

Shale . 

Limestone . 

“Soapstone” . 

Sandstone . 

Shale . 

Limestone . 

Shale . 

Limestone . 

Shale . 

Sandstone . 

“Soapstone” . 

Limestone . 

Shale . 

Sandstone . 

Shale . 

Limestone . 

Shale . 

Limestone . 

Shale . 

Sandstone . 

Red rock . 

Limestone . 

Shale . 

Limestone . 

Shale . 

Limestone . 

Shale . 

Dark sand . 

Shale . 

Sandstone . 

Shale . 

Sandstone, hard . 

Shale . 

Sandstone . 


Thickness 

Depth 

Feet 

Feet 


391 


402 


415 


476 


493 


509 


523 


545 

31 

576 


578 

7 

585 

13 

598 

5 

603 

15 

618 

15 

633 

24 

657 

5 

662 

22 

684 

8 

692 

7 

699 

13 

712 

15 

727 

3 

730 

53 

783 

41 

824 

11 

835 

16 

851 

4 

855 

11 

866 

5 

871 

9 

880 

4 

884 

2 

886 

5/ 2 

891U 


The following log is the record of an oil test near the Union 
Depot, Coulterville, sec. 13, T. 4 S., R. 5 W. The thickness of the 
lower coal is no doubt too large, but it is probably to be correlated 
with coal No. 5. The 215-foot sandstone at 640 probably represents 
the Pottsville, which probably occupies an ancient valley in the Chester 
rocks. 


Record of Coulterville city ivell, No. i 
Location—Sec. 13, T. 4 S., R. 5 W. 


Description of Strata Thickness Depth 

Feet Feet 

30 30 

50 80 

20 100 


Drift . 

Shale . 

“Soapstone” 







































176 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Description of Strata 


Thickness 

Feet 

Shale, black . 40 


“Soapstone” . 

Shale . 

“Soapstone” . 

Shale . 

Limestone . 

Coal (No. 6). 

“Soapstone” . 

Shale . 

Shale, black . 

Coal (No. 5, probably incorrectly reported) 

Shale . 

Limestone . 

Shale, black . 

Limestone . 

Shale, white . 

Limestone . 

Shale, white . 

Limestone . 

“Soapstone” . 

Shale, brown . 

Sand, white (fresh water) . 

Shale . 

Sand . 

Shale . 

Limestone . 

Shale . 

Limestone . 

Shale . 

Red rock . 

Limestone . 

Red rock . 

Limestone . 

Shale . 

Shale, red . 

Sand, white (salt water) (Benoist?). 


15 

45 

20 

75 

15 

7 

30 

25 

23 

8 
20 

7 

10 

5 

20 

10 

25 

20 

15 

20 

55 

40 

215 

10 

10 

15 

20 

40 

10 

40 

30 

20 

25 

25 

17 


Depth 

Feet 

140 

155 

200 

220 

295 

310 

317 

347 

372 

385 

393 

413 

420 

430 

435 

455 

465 

490 

510 

525 

545 

600 

640 

855 

865 

875 

890 

910 

950 

960 

1000 

1030 

1050 

1075 

1100 

1117 


In Perry County about 1200 feet of the “Coal Measures” strata 
are present. West of the Duquoin anticline all the rocks dip north¬ 
ward at a uniform rate, but from the axis of the fold which extends 
through Duquoin and parallels the Illinois Central railroad the beds 
dip steeply to the east, and coal No. 6 which outcrops at Duquoin is 
almost 500 feet below the surface three miles to the east. 


The most noticeable difference in the stratigraphy east and west 
of the anticline is the large interval between coal No. 6 and its roof 
limestone on the eastern side of the fold. A progressive thickening 
of the shale is apparent in an easterly direction from the crest of the 
fold, as illustrated by figure 31. It seems probable that shortly after 






































COUNTY REPORTS 


177 


the deposition of the roof material began, subsidence proceeded rap¬ 
idly east of the line which marks the axis of the fold, allowing a large 
amount of muds and silts to be carried into the basin; whereas on the 
west side of the axis only a few feet of sediment accumulated. The 


SECTION 

ehowins 

THICKENING OF SHALE INTERVAL 
ABOVE COAL NO. 6 
EAST OF DUQUOIN ANTICLINE 



R.5 S. 

R.6 S. 

T 2 W T 1 W 


r. 









• 

3 








4* 

5 

• 



_ 





• 6 



Limestone Shale 


LEGEND 


Fire clay Coal 



400 


- 30 0 


ui F200 

•4 


100 ) 


0 


Fig. 31. —Section showing the thickening of the shale interval above coal 
No. 6 east of the axis of the Duquoin anticline. 


sea then became clear, and limestone was deposited over the entire 
area. Further sinking began, the eastern side again being in the lead, 
and the result was a sharp folding of the coal with a somewhat small¬ 
er effect on the limestone and the other beds above the coal. In the 
eastern side of the county about 100 feet of shales overlie the coal. 

Several of the holes in the eastern part of the county show a thin 
coal above the limestone in the proper position for coal No. 7, al- 












































































































































178 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


though of course it is almost 100 feet higher than is usual west of the 
fold, because of the increased amount of shale mentioned above. One 
hole in sec. 2, T. 6 S., R. 1 W. shows a thick limestone about 400 feet 
above coal No. 6. At this place it lies next below the glacial drift, 
and its boundary no doubt passes southeast into the northern part of 
Jefferson County. 

The following log of Midvalley Oil Company’s well in NW. Y\ 
SW. J4 sec. 17, T. 6 S., R. 3 W. was made by J. A. Udden from 
samples which were shipped to the office by the company. The prink¬ 
ed log includes only the “Coal Measures,” although the well was con¬ 
tinued to 1198 feet. This well is located near the outcrop of coal No. 
6, and it is likely that the coal fragments at 40 feet are from that bed. 
The detailed description of the coals will be given later in this chapter. 

Well record of Midvalley Oil Company 
Farm and well—Gallagher No. 1 
Location—NW.^ SW.^ sec. 17, T. 6 S., R. 3 W. 


(Description by J. A. bidden) 

Description of Strata Thickness Depth 

Feet Feet 

Loess, yellow . 6 6 

Surface clay, yellow and some sand grains. 9 15 

Sample lost . 9 24 

Drift, sand, and pebbles and a little dark shale. 8 32 

Loess, yellow, and other drift. 8 40 

Sand, coal fragments and drift pebbles (probably frag¬ 
ments of coal No. 6). 8 48 

Sandstone, gray, micaceous and drift pebbles. 10 58 

Shale, gray, siderite, black shale, gray limestone, drift 

pebbles and chert . 9 67 

Sand, siderite, and drift pebbles. 7 74 

Shale, gray, weathered, containing some calcareous 

material . 10 84 

Limestone, black, and yellow glass (?). 13 87 

Shale, black, slaty, slightly bituminous, some coal and 

yellow glass . 5 92 

Shale, black, some limestone, some sandstone and some 

fire clay . 6 98 

Sandstone, gray, and yellow, concretionary limestone, 

black shale and mineral charcoal. 7 105 

Shale, dark gray, micaceous. 9 114 

Shale, gray, sandy, micaceous, showing dark and light 
laminae, and gray sandstone with imbedded yellow 

spherules of siderite. 6 120 

Sandstone, gray, white, and yellow, and dark gray, 


sandy shale and some white and yellow sandstone. 

Some of the sandstone contains shreds of car¬ 
bonaceous material and some contains spherules 
of siderite . 7 127 



















COUNTY REPORTS 


179 


Description of Strata Thickness 


Feet 

Shale, black, very bituminous, waxy to the knife, and a 

dark gray, coarse, organic, brecciated limestone. 8 

Shale, black, “clod” containing a small tuberculated gas- 
teropod and other fragments of other fossils, coal, 

and fire clay. 8 

Coal and some fire clay . 4 

Sandstone, gray, micaeous, and some fire clay. 7 

Sandstone, white, micaceous . 6 

Sandstone, gray, with imbedded spherules of siderite.... 6 
Clay shale, gray, and gray sandstone, siderite, pyrite, 

and some limestone . 6 

Shale, gray, sandy, and black shale, limestone, concre¬ 
tionary siderite and pyrite. 6 

Shale, gray, and fire clay, coal, black shale and pyrite.... 6 
Shale, black, and gray fire clay, coal, pyrite and some 

limestone . 6 

Shale, black, and coal, organic, calcareous fragments, 

woody tissue, pyrite and fire clay. 6 

Shale, sandy, gray and some greenish-gray shale. 4 

Shale, gray, some coal and limestone. 6 

Shale, gray, and black; shale, coal, siderite and limestone 6 

Sandstone, gray, and gray shale, black shale, coal and 

pyrite . 6 

Shale, dark and black, and gray sandstone, concretionary 

siderite, carbonaceous, woody tissue and pyrite.. 6 

Shale, black, and gray sandstone, siderite, fragments of 

red, brown, and yellow stone. 6 

Limestone, yellowish-gray and gray shale, gray, sandy 

shale, bright red rock fragments and sandstone.. 6 

Sandstone, dark gray, soft and of fine texture. 6 

Shale, gray sandy, and siderite, pyrite, and some white 

calcareous fragments . 6 

Shale, gray, with some siderite and pyrite. 6 

Shale, gray, and gray sandstone with carbonaceous frag¬ 
ments, some fragments of red rock, some limestone 

and pyrite . 6 

Shale, dark, and light-gray shale with fragments of siderite 6 
Coal, siderite, fire clay and pyrite. 6 


Shale, black, containing laminae of coal, white and gray 


limestone with crinoid stem and a small tuberculated 
gasteropod. Pyritized woody tissue, and bright red 

rock noted and some siderite. 6 

Pyrite, black shale, pyritized woody tissue, siderite, some 

calcite and some limestone. 6 

Limestone, gray, and concretionary siderite and pyrite.... 5 

Shale, gray, micaceous, and some gray sandstone with car¬ 
bonaceous shreds and some siderite. 6 

Shale, dark, micaceous, with some fragments of calcareous 

material . 5 

Sandstone, gray, and gray shale. 6 


Depth 

Feet 

135 


143 

153 

160 

166 

172 

178 

184 

190 

196 

20 2 
206 
212 
218 

224 

230 

236 

242 

248 

254 

260 


266 

272 

278 


284 

290 

295 

301 

306 

312 

























180 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Description of Strata Thickness Deptl 

Feet Feet 

Sandstone, white, micaceous, laminated with some shale 6 318 

Sand, white . 16 334 

Sandstone, gray, and red; siderite, black shale, pyrite, 

spherules of siderite and limestone. 6 340 

Sandstone, white, and some shale. 6 346 

Sand, coarse, white. 6 352 

Sandstone, white, micaceous, coarse, with a few fragments 

of limestone, pyrite and siderite. 6 358 

Sand, white . 12 370 

Sandstone, white, fairly coarse. 6 376 

Sand, white, micaceous. 8 384 

Sandstone, light gray . 6 390 

Sand, white, micaceous. 5 401 

Sandstone, white, some shale and calcareous material.. 3 404 

Shale, light, dark gray, and a little brown, and fine 

sandstone . 3 407 

Sandstone, fine, white, micaceous. 3 410 

Sand, coarse, white. 5 415 

Sandstone, laminated, white, micaceous. A pebble of 

quartz about % in. noted. 5 420 

Sandstone, fine, white, micaceous. 5 425 

Sand, gray, micaceous. 5 430 

Sand, gray . 5 435 

Sand, coarse, of many well-rounded grains. 5 440 

Sandstone, white and gray, of coarse rounded grains, 
with infiltrated carbonate of lime and some small 

pieces of shale . 5 445 

Sand, coarse, gray, micaceous and a little dark shale. 5 450 

Sandstone, fairly coarse, gray. 5 455 

Sand, white . 6 461 

Sandstone, coarse, white, and a little pyrite. 5 466 

Sandstone, white, micaceous. 6 472 

Sandstone, white . 12 484 

Sand, white, micaceous . 6 490 

Sand, white . 18 508 

Sand, pure white. 6 514 

Sand, white . 6 520 

Sand, coarse, white. 5 525 

Sandstone, gray, calcareous of fine texture. 5 528 

Shale, mostly gray, dark and black; and some sandstone 

and quartz grains. 5 535 

Sandstone, limestone, pyrite and shale. 5 540 

Shale, dark, and white sandstone and a little limestone.. 6 546 

Sandstone, gray and red, and gray shale and pyrite. 6 552 

Sandstone, white, micaceous, and some gray shale. 6 558 

Sandstone, white, fairly coarse. 6 564 

Sand, gray, micaceous, and a little dark shale. 5 569 

Sandstone, white, and a little red shale. Sand grains with 

secondary crystals . 5 574 

Sandstone, pink, purple, brown, yellow and white. 6 580 









































COUNTY REPORTS 


181 

Description of Strata Thickness Depth 

Feet Feet 

Sandstone, white, gray, dark, pink, and brown. 5 585 

Sand, white quartz. 5 590 

Sand, white, with secondary crystallization. 6 596 

Sandstone, white, and a little gray shale. 6 602 

Sand, white, with some grains showing secondary growth 6 608 

Sand, clean white. 6 614 

Sand, pure white, secondary crystallization. 6 620 

Sandstone, white, and a few grains of coal. 5 625 

Sandstone, white and fine grained, and pyrite, a little coal 

and a little shale. 5 630 

Limestone, black and white shale, fine sand, and quartz 

crystals . 5 635 

Sand, gray, micaceous, and a little gray shale. 5 640 

Quartz sand, fine grained, some black shale and frag¬ 
ments of limestone. 5 645 

Sand, gray . 5 650 

Sand, gray, micaceous, and fairly coarse, and a little shale, 

and some limestone. 5 655 

Sandstone, white, with dark laminae, fragments of coal, 
some shale fragments of siderite concretions, some 

pyrite and some red grains. 5 660 

Sandstone, white . 5 665 

Sand, gray, micaceous, some limestone and some gray 

shale . 5 670 

Sandstone, gray, and pink; and dark gray shale. 5 675 

Sandstone, gray, calcaceous, showing minute shreds of 

vegetation and pyrite. 5 680 

Limestone, dark, and shale, some calcite, pyrite, and a 

little white limestone. Brachiopod spine noted. 5 685 

Shale, gray, with some fragments of limestone and pyrite 5 690 

Shale, bluish, black, and organic fragmental limestone.... 5 695 

Sandstone, gray, calcareous, dark gray shale and some 
fragments of black bituminous material, some gray 

limestone and pyrite. 5 700 

Sandstone, gray, red, and white; and gray and black shale, 

and some limestone. Aspect: Pottsville. 5 705 

Sandstone, gray, dark shale, some red, green, brown, 

fragments of limestone, and a little pyrite. 5 710 

Sandstone, gray, and dark shale. 5 715 

Sandstone, gray, micaceous, and some black shale. 5 720 

Sandstone, gray, and black shale, some coal, some petri¬ 
fied wood and some pyrite. 3 723 

Sandstone, gray, laminated of fine texture. 4 727 

Sandstone, laminated, dark gray, and fragments of pyrite 5 732 

Sandstone, gray, showing carbonaceous shreds and layers 6 738 

Shale, greenish black, with few fragments of red shale.. 6 744 

In Washington County the coal-bearing beds range in thickness 
from 600 feet in the southwestern to 1200 or 1300 feet in the north¬ 
eastern part. Coal No. 6 is 160 feet deep in the southwest corner, 




























182 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


and the dip carries it 520 feet below the surface at Centralia Coal 
Company’s mine No. 5 near the northeast corner of the county. The 
strata above the coal consist largely of shales which are variable in 
character and cannot be correlated from one hole to another. 

The following records of coal shafts at Ashley and mine No. 5, 
Centralia Coal Company, show typical sections of the beds above 
coal No. 6. 


Well record of Ashley mine shaft (abandoned) 

Location—NW.^ sec. 26, T. 2 S., R. 1 W., Washington County. 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 

No record . 

Ft. 

123 

In. 

Ft. 

123 

In. 

Limestone . 

9 

m # 

132 

# , 

“Slate” . 

4 

. # 

136 

# , 

“Soapstone” . 

12 

. . 

148 

. . 

Coal . 

. , 

10 

148 

10 

Conglomerate . 

4 

6 

153 

4 

Fire clay . 

1 

6 

154 

10 

Sandstone . 

46 

6 

201 

4 

Shale, blue . 

5 

. , 

205 

4 

Shale, black . 

4 


209 

4 

Lime . 

1 

# # 

210 

4 

Shale, blue . 

2 

6 

212 

10 

Fire clay . 

4 

6 

217 

4 

Conglomerate . 

3 

6 

220 

10 

Shale, sandy. 

21 


241 

10 

Shale, blue . 

3 

6 

245 

4 

“Soapstone” . 

3 

, # 

248 

4 

Shale, sandy . 

41 

# # 

289 

4 

“Slate”, blue . 

18 

# # 

307 

4 

“Slate”, blue . 

3 

6 

310 

10 

“Slate”, black. 

2 

6 

313 

4 

Lime. 

1 

# # 

314 

4 

Coal . 

1 

# . 

315 

4 

Fire clay . 

3 


318 

4 

Shale, blue . 

5 

6 

323 

10 

Sand . 

22 


345 

10 

“Soapstone” . 

83 

, , 

428 

10 

Lime, gray . 

. . 

6 

429 

4 

Fire clay . 

1 

6 

430 

10 

Sand . 

3 

6 

434 

4 

Lime . 

1 

6 

435 

10 

Shale, black . 

1 

6 

437 

4 

Shale, blue . 

5 


442 

4 

Shale, black . 

6 

# # 

448 

4 

Lime, gray . 

2 


450 

4 

Lime, white . 

1 

6 

451 

10 

Shale, blue . 

6 


457 

10 

Lime . 

14 


471 

10 






























































COUNTY REPORTS 


183 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 


Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

“Slate”, black . 

2 

, , 

473 

10 

Coal and dirt. 

4 

6 

478 

4 

“Soapstone” . 

6 

• . 

484 

4 

Coal . 

• , 

8 

485 

• • 

Shale, “soapstone” . 

• . 

4 

485 

4 

“Soapstone”, shale . 

3 

6 

489 

10 

Coal seam worked (No. 6 ). 

5 

• • 

495 

10 

Shaft record of mine No. 5 of Centralia Coal Co. 


Location—SE.*4 NE.*4 sec. 25, T. 1 

N., R. 1 

W. 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 


Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Surface . 

16 


16 


Shale, soft, black. 

4 


20 


Shale, black clay . 

38 


58 


Conglomerate lime . 

1 


59 


“Slate”, black . 

1 


60 


Coal . 

• • 

3 

60 

3 

Fire clay . 

11 

6 

71 

9 

Shale, black, sandy, and light sandy peal 

14 

. • 

85 

9 

Conglomerate sand rock. 

1 

6 

87 

3 

Shale, black, sandy. 

2 

9 

90 


Lime, conglomerate . 


6 

90 

6 

Shale, black, sandy. 

3 

• • 

93 

6 

Lime, conglomerate . 

2 

3 

95 

9 

Sand rock . 

1 

9 

97 

6 

Clay shale, black. 

2 

6 

100 

• • 

Coal . 

• • 

6 

100 

6 

Fire clay . 

• • 

6 

101 


Clay shale . 

1 

3 

102 

3 

Shale, black, sandy. 

3 


105 

3 

Sand rock . 

5 


108 

3 

Clav shale . 

• • 

3 

108 

6 

Coal . 

• • 

6 

109 

• • 

Fire clay, dark. 

3 

9 

112 

9 

Shale, dark, sandy and light sandy peat.. 

16 


128 

9 

Clay shale, black . 

14 


142 

9 

Lime . 

2 


144 

9 

Fire clay . 

4 


148 

9 

Clay shale . 

25 


173 

9 

Lime, shaly . 

1 

6 

175 

3 

Limestone, gray (Carlinville) . 

9 

9 

185 


“Slate”, black . 

3 

6 

188 

6 

Clay shale. 

3 

3 

191 

9 



3 

192 

• • 

Fire clay lime pebbles. 

4 

9 

196 

9 

Fire clay and lime mixed. 

2 


198 

9 

Shale, black, sandy . 

28 


226 

9 














































































184 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 


Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Clay shale, blue. 

19 

. . 

245 

9 

Lime, conglomerate . 

2 

. . 

247 

9 

“Slate”, black . 

2 

6 

250 

3 

Lime, conglomerate . 

1 

6 

251 

9 

Fire clay, dark. 

5 


256 

9 

Lime, blue, sandy. 

12 


268 

9 

Clay shale, blue. 

44 


312 

9 

Sand rock . 

5 


317 

9 

Sand rock, and dark shalv peat. 

5 


322 

9 

Shale, blue, sandy, and sandy peat. 

3 


325 

9 

Clay shale, dark, and limey peat. 

11 


336 

9 

Lime, conglomerate . 

1 


337 

9 

Clay shale, dark. 

5 


342 

9 

Coal (No. 8 ). 

1 


343 

9 

Fire clay, lime pebbles. 

3 


346 

9 

Lime, sandy . 

3 

6 

350 

3 

Fine rock . 

1 


351 

3 

Shale, sandy . 

4 


355 

3 

Sand rock, oil-bearing. 

4 


359 

3 

Shale, blue, sandy and light sandy peat.. 

5 

6 

364 

9 

Shale, blue, sandy. 

68 


432 

9 

Clay shale, blue. 

23 


455 

9 

Fire clay . 

3 


458 

9 

Sandy shale, blue. 

8 


464 

9 

Shale, dark, sandy and light sandy peat.. 

3 

6 

468 

3 

“Slate”, black . 

, . 

6 

468 

9 

Fire clay . 

2 


470 

9 

Fire clay, dark. 

3 


473 

9 

Fire clay, hard, dark. 

2 


475 

9 

Lime rock, gray. 

5 


480 

9 

Fire clay . 

4 


484 

9 

Shale, dark . 

2 

9 

487 

6 

Coal (No. 7). 

1 

6 

489 


Fire clay . 

3 

. . 

492 


Coal . 

. . 

6 

492 

6 

Fire clay . 

1 

6 

494 


Shale, dark . 

, . 

3 

494 

3 

Coal . 

. , 

9 

495 


Fire clay, sandy. 

2 

. . 

497 

. . 

Fire clay, green and lime. 

2 

3 

500 

9 

Lime, gray . 

3 


503 

9 

Lime, gray and dark shale. 

3 


506 

9 

Lime, gray . 

1 


507 

9 

Shale, dark . 

2 


509 

9 

Lime, dark . 

7 


516 

9 

Lime rock, black. 

6 

6 

523 

3 

“Slate”, black . 

2 

. . 

525 

3 

Coal (No. 6 ). 

6 

6 

531 

9 

Fire clay . 


6 

532 

3 













































































COUNTY REPORTS 


185 


Below is given the log of a well drilled by the Gibson estate on the 
Finke farm. Coal No. 6, its cap rock, and a 5-foot bed 100 feet lower 
are the only coals noted. 


Drill record of Veitcli, Gibson Co. 

Location—Sec. 12, T. 2 S., R. 3 W. 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 


Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Pennsylvanian strata— 





Soil . 

12 


12 


Gravel . 

12 


24 


Shale and some limestone. 

326 


350 


Limestone, hard . 

26 


376 


Coal (No. 6 ). 

6 


382 


Shale and some limestone. 

98 


480 


Limestone . 

2 

6 

482 

6 

Coal (No. 5). 

6 

6 

489 


Shale and some limestone .... 

66 


555 


Sandstone (little salt water).. 

8 


563 


Shale and some limestone. 

147 


710 


Sandstone (salt water) . 

70 


780 


Shale and limestone. 

8 


788 


Sandstone . 

22 


810 


Shale . 

30 


840 


Sandstone (much salt water) . 

15 


855 


Shale . 

35 


890 


Sandstone (much salt water) . . 

60 


950 


Shale . 

40 


990 


Mississippian series— 

Chester group— 





Sandstone (salt water). 

10 


1000 


Shale and red rock. 

20 


1020 


Sandstone (Carlyle) (good 





show of oil). 

14 


1034 


Sandstone (salt water) .... 

31 


1065 


Sandstone and some red rock 





(salt water) . 

80 


1145 


Sandstone (salt water). 

60 


1205 


Shale . 

25 


1230 


Limestone . 

5 


1235 


Sandstone (show of oil). 

10 


1245 


Sandstone . 

55 


1300 


Shale and red rock. 

125 


1425 


Sandstone . 

35 


1460 


Shale and red rock. 

40 


1500 


Limestone . 

5 


1505 


Sandstone . 

10 


1515 


St. Louis formation— 





Limestone, hard . 

1 


1516 

































































186 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


In the northeast half of the county it is generally possible to rec¬ 
ognize the Carlinville limestone in drillings or on the outcrop. In the 
Huegeli shaft at Nashville it lies 80 feet below the surface, and it is 
exposed north of Nashville along the west side of the creek in the 
NW. Y\ sec. 13, T. 2 S., R. 3 W. It has also been quarried in the 
SW. J4 sec. 34, T. 2 S., R. 2 W. Ordinarily the fresh limestone is blu¬ 
ish-gray and very hard and breaks into irregular pieces. It turns brown 
on weathering. In Washington County it lies about 300 feet above 
coal No. 6 and its dip carries it from the outcrop to a depth of 150 
to 200 feet or more in the northeast corner of the county. Although 
it averages but 7 feet in thickness, it is persistent and can be traced 
from point to point with considerable success. 

Below coal No. 6 is a series of shales and sandstones ranging in 
thickness from 400 to 800 feet, the irregularity being due to the un¬ 
conformity at the base of the “Coal Measures.” Most of the records 
make no mention of coals below coal No. 6, but it is believed that the 
apparent absence of the lower coals is due to the unsatisfactory work 
of the churn drill. Three logs in different parts of the county record 
a coal lying at intervals of 70, 110, and 150 feet respectively, and rang¬ 
ing in thickness from 3 to 5 feet. They probably do not represent ihe 
same bed, but their presence adds strength to the belief that careful 
drilling will disclose at least small areas of workable coal below No. 6. 

Geologic Structure 

Most of the area concerned in this report is underlain by beds 
that have a general northeast dip averaging 12 feet per mile, as shown 
by the position of coal No. 6. Minor undulations exist, the axes of 
which extend in the direction of the dip. For detailed description of 
the Venedy dome, the White Oak anticline, and the Nashville antir 
cline the reader is referred to “Geological Structure” in Part I of this 
bulletin. 

The major structural feature of the region is the Duquoin anti¬ 
cline, the axis of which enters the county in the eastern part of T. 6 

S. , R. 2 W., extends about N. 10 E. through Duquoin, thence prac¬ 
tically parallel to the Illinois Central Railroad as far north as Sand¬ 
oval, north of which it loses its identity. The fold is best known in 

T. 6 S., R. 1 W., Perry County, where a large amount of mining and 
drilling have been done. At Duquoin and for some distance west the 
beds lie almost flat, but east of the city the dip reaches as much as 
300 feet per mile. Figure 32 is a structure section across the anti¬ 
cline. The position of the structural contours is not definitely known 
hut the eastern dip is steep along the west side of Jefferson County; 


COUNTY REPORTS 


187 


whereas west of the axis the beds show a uniform, northward dip. 
In other words, the axis of the fold dips gently north-eastward. 

It seems certain that in some way a barrier existed along the line 
of the Duquoin fold for at least some distance north during the de¬ 
position of the coal, because the coal east of the axis, not only in 


500n 


TTT 


Base,-- 


_ 


LEGEND 


=3 


nrr 


Limestone 


Shale 


Fire clay 


Coal 


Sandstone 


Drift 




Qq/ 


'"-/Vo. 





R.5S 


R.6S 


T.2 W 


T 1 W 


SECTION 

showing 

GEOLOGIC STRUCTURE 
of the 

DUQUOIN ANTICLINE 


3E 


\ 

i i 


i i 
< • 
i \ 
i \ 

» i 
» » 

> \ 

' \ 

> V 


> 1 
I I 

I » 

1 I 

1 t 

1 \ 
I 




' 1 


400- 


300 - 


200 - 


100 - 


M 


Fig. 32. —Section showing structure of the Duquoin anticline. 


southeast Perry County, but also in Franklin and Williamson coun¬ 
ties, differs physically and chemically from the coal deposited contem¬ 
poraneously west of the axis. The difference in the coals is most 
noticeable as far north as the northern boundary of Franklin County. 
No such change is apparent east of the fold in Marion County, and it 
is not now known where the Franklin-Williamson type of coal No. 6 
stops and the Belleville type begins on the east side of the Duquoin 
fold. 


















































































188 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


The absence of the coal at Ashley and Irvington, on the axis of 
the fold, may signify former submergence in that part of the region 
now occupied by the fold. Scattered records in western Jefferson 
County show irregularities in the coal, including thick partings of 
shale, especially in the upper part of the bed, and are significant be¬ 
cause they are apparently related to the irregular conditions noted 
above. These, in turn, may be connected with the barren area dis¬ 
closed by the Oppenlander well, sec. 16, T. 2 S., R. 1 W., and by a 
well in sec. 4, T. 2 S., R. 2 W. Data are now too meagre to unravel 
the true conditions, but future investigation may prove that the area 
of thin or irregular coal, as mapped in western Clinton County, con,- 
tinues southeastward through northeastern Washington County and 
includes the territory near Ashley and Irvington. The latter terri¬ 
tory may have been below sea level so that instead of receiving coal 
deposition, it formed an area of sluggish drainage, south of which the 
embryonic fold acted as a barrier between the eastern and western 
parts of the coal basin. At least the effect of such a barrier is not 
apparent north of Perry County. Some faulting occurred coincident 
with the formation of the Duquoin anticline. Those faults encountered 
in mining will be described under the subject “Roof and Floor." 

Coal No. 6 

DISTRIBUTION AND THICKNESS 

An area of 694 square miles in Perry County is underlain by coal 
No. 6, this being the entire county except an irregularly shaped tract 
in the south central part aggregating 49 square miles. The outcrop 
enters the county about 1 mile south of Willisville, extends east across 
Galum Creek, thence northeast swinging across P>eaucoup Creek, 
southwest along the tributary of Beaucoup to sec. 20, T. 6 S., R. 2 W., 
thence east to the central part of section 24, and south to the county 
line. The position of the outcrop on the map is based on all avail¬ 
able information, but later some revision will doubtless be necessary, 
especially in the vicinity of Beaucoup Creek. North and east of this 
line coal No. 6 is persistent throughout the county. 

West of the Duquoin anticline the bed shows the uniform thick¬ 
ness of 6 feet, but east of the axis in T. 6 S., R. 1 W. the average 
thickness is increased to 8 feet. Coal No. 6 is thinnest on the crest 
of the broad fold where it is near the surface. That it is consistently 
thinner along the crest probably signifies that less vegetal material 
was deposited, but in places near Duquoin erosion removed part or 
all of the coal before the glacial material was deposited. Such erosion 
is particularly noticeable in parts of secs. 7 and 16, T. 6 S., R. 1 W. 


COUNTY REPORTS 


189 


A few of the mining companies operating near Duquoin have 
found by drilling that the coal is absent along certain northwest-south¬ 
east lines which suggest former stream channels. It has also been 
noted that near the barren areas the coal is split into a number of 
benches by shale partings, the result, perhaps, of the interbedding com¬ 
mon to stream deposits, a condition no doubt related to the succession 
of low and high-water periods. The erosion channels at Duquoin are 
not so large as those in Montgomery County and appear to affect only 
the top of the fold near the southern outcrop. The mines along the 
crest of the fold show coal ranging in thickness from 5 feet 2 inches 
to 5 feet 10 inches. 

In Randolph County, the outcrop forms an irregular northwest- 
southeast line from a point one mile south of Willisville to the north¬ 
west corner of sec. 4, T. 4 S., R. 6 W. The streams in this part of 
the county flow southwest and, since the dip of the rocks is towards 
the northeast, the coal outcrop may be followed up the sides of the 
valleys to the point where the bed dips beneath the channel. Origin¬ 
ally the coal was mined along the outcrop near Percy and in the vi¬ 
cinity of Sparta. Later it was mined by shallow shafts in the same 
region and finally deeper shafts were sunk in the northeast corner of 
the county. 

Detailed measurements at the face of the coal in 9 mines show 
that the bed averages 5 feet 11 inches in thickness; whereas 19 drill 
holes distributed throughout the coal-bearing area indicate an average 
thickness of 6 feet 1 inch. 

The coal of Washington county is not well known, since in its 
shallowest parts it lies 200 feet below the surface and the streams do 
not erode sufficiently deep to expose it. Information regarding the 
coal is confined to the few shafts and about 15 drill holes in different 
parts of the county. The available records indicate that coal No. 6 is 
developed over a large part of the county. It is known to be some¬ 
what thinner than normal along the axis of the Duquoin fold in the 
eastern tier of townships, and its absence at Irvington and also in sec. 
16, T. 2 S., R. 1 W. and in sec. 4, T. 2 S., R. 2 W. suggests some con¬ 
nection with the barren area towards the northwest in Clinton county. 
It is also possible that the absence of coal in the drill holes mentioned 
is due to the same processes that reduced the thickness of the coal in 
the eastern part of Clinton county. Before any definite relationship 
can be established however other holes must be drilled in the northr 
east quarter of Washington county. The drill records available for 
study are from wells so widely separated that generalizations regard¬ 
ing distribution and thickness of coal No. 6 are almost worthless. It 


190 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


is regarded best, therefore, to present the known information in tabu¬ 
lated form. 


Table 14. — Thickness of coal No. 6 in Washington County 
From drill records and logs of mine shafts 


Company 

Location 

Coal No. 6 


Sec. 

T. 

R. 

Depth 

Thick¬ 

ness 

Drill holes: 





Feet 

Ft. In. 

Irvington Coal Co. 

Irvington 



• • 

Absent 

. . 

Centralia Coal Co. 

SE.I4 NE .54 

25 

IN 

1W 

525 

6 6 

Central Refining Co. 


17 

IS 

4W 

335 

10 .. 

Ashley shaft 

Ashley 

• • 

2S 

1W 

497 

5 .. 

Schaffer & Smathers 

Ashley 

. • 

2S 

1W 

Absent 

.. 

Ohio Oil Co. 


16 

2S 

1W 

Absent 

.. 

Egyptian Heat & Power Co. 


4 

2S 

2W 

Absent 

• • 

Gibson Estate 


12 

2S 

3W 

376 

6 .. 

Consolidated Coal Company 


13 

2S 

3W 

418 

6 .. 

M. H. Cohen 


21 

2S 

3W 

325 

1-2 

R. Zeppenfeld 


29 

2S 

4W 

216 

8 .. 

C. L. Coulter 

N\vy 4 sw y 4 

13 

3S 

4W 

351 

7 .. 

Shotip Oil Co. 


14 

3S 

4W 

303 

3 .. 

David Thomas 

Oakdale 

. . 

• . 

• • 

345 

7 .. 

Mine shafts: 







Finke & Harris Coal Co. 

NE .54 SE.J4 

13 

2S 

3W 

424 

7 .. 

J. A. Kuhn 

NE.J4 

33 

3S 

1W 

294 

5 6 

Gallatin Coal & Coke Co. 

Nashville 




419 

6 4 


PHYSICAL CHARACTER 

The coal of Washington, Randolph, and the western parts of 
Perry counties, differs physically and chemically from that east of the 
Duquoin anticline where it is thicker, and contains less dirt and a 
smaller percentage of sulphur. The latter coal belongs with that of 
FranklinrWilliamson or District VI of the Investigations. In treat¬ 
ing the subject of coal resources in county units, however, some over¬ 
lapping of districts is unavoidable. 





























COUNTY REPORTS 


191 


Figures 33, 34, and 35 show the physical character of coal No. 6 
in some of the mines of Perry, Randolph, and Washington counties. 
On both sides of the fold the bed shows the usual division into three 
benches, and the “blue band” maintains its position and general char¬ 
acteristics. As a whole, on the west the bed has a duller luster than 
on the east. In most places the top coal is not left in mining except 
below bad roof as at the Horn mine lp 2 miles southwest of Duquoin, 
where 18 inches of coal forms the roof and is separated from the mid¬ 
dle bench by a parting of charcoal and pyrite. 





Fig. 33—Graphic sections of coal No. 6 from measurements made in 
mines in Perry Co. 

1. Paradise Coal and Coke Co., Paradise mine, Duquoin. 

2. King City Coal and Mining Co., Barnard mine, Cutler. 

3. Little Muddy Fuel Co., Little Muddy mine, Tamaroa, 2nd. north entry. 

4. Willis Coal Mining Co., No. 1, Willisville. Room 10, 13th. S. off main 


cast entry. 

5. Brilliant Coal and Coke Co., Horn mine, Duquoin. Room 24, 7th. S. 
off 7th. W. on N. 

6 . Ritchey Coal Co., No. 1, Pinckneyville. Face 4th. off main N., 1000 
feet from shaft. 


















192 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


East of the anticline the character of the coal is seen typically at 
the Paradise and Muddy Valley mines. In the former the bed varies 
in thickness from 8 to 11 feet, the average being 10 feet. The top 
coal measures 26 to 30 inches and the lower bench averages 18 inches. 
At the latter mine the coal varies in thickness from 6 to 11 feet on the 
east side of the mine and is but 7 feet on the west. The “blue band” 
on the west is but \y 2 inches thick and from 7 to 10 inches on the east 
and consists of bone, coal, and dirt. At the Paradise mine also the 
“blue band” is peculiar in that it consists of an upper and lower layer 
of shale varying from 1 to 2 inches in thickness, and separated by 
about one inch of coal. Various names are applied to particular part¬ 
ings or to benches develped at individual mines. At the abandoned 
mine of the Greenwood-Davis Coal Co., Duquoin, a softer coal is 

LEGEND 



Fig. 34.—Graphic sections of coal No. 6 from measurements made in mines 
in Randolph County. 

1. Boyd Coal & Coke Co., No. 1, Sparta. Main north, 600 feet from main 

west. 

2. Bessemer Coal and Mining Co., Crystal mine, Tilden. Room 16, 6th 
west off main south. 

3. Moffatt Coal Co., No. 1, Sparta. Face 4th west off main S., 2800 feet 
from shaft. 

4. Willis Coal and Mining Co., No. 6, Percy. Room 16, 1st south, 


east. 


main 















COUNTY REPORTS 


193 


present below the 26-inch top bench, and to this is given the name 
“nine inch ply". Such terms as “drift band,” “steel band” and others 
are applied to local features in certain mines. Besides the “blue band” 
which is persistent and the parting below the top coal, no other partings 
can be consistently traced from one mine to another. 

At Nashville in Washington County the coal appears to contain 
thicker shale partings than elsewhere, and below the lower bench 12 to 


4 


Fig. 35 .—Graphic sections of coal No. 6 from measurements made in mines 
in Washington Co. 

1. Centralia Coal Co., No. 5, Centralia. Room 1 off 4th N. 

2. Kuhn Coal Co., Dubois. 2nd. W. main entry. 

3. Finke and Harris Coal Co., No. 1, Nashville. (Abandoned.) Main N. 
entry, 4200 feet from shaft. 

4. Gallatin Coal and Coke Co., Nashville. Room 3 on 2nd. W. off main 
N. (Abandoned.) 

7-B-ll 

































194 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


18 inches of bone and a foot or two of clay overlie a small bed of coal 
ranging in thickness from 18 to 24 inches. The main part of the bed 
seems to be intact, the “blue band" being in its proper place, and the 
small coal below is probably a local development in a small basin. 

The following section was measured at the face 4200 feet from 
the shaft on the main north entry, in mine No. 1, Finke and Harris 
Coal Company, Nashville, now abandoned. 


Section of coal, Finke and Harris mine No. I, Nashville 


Shale, roof, black 

Coal . 

Pyrite. 

Coal . 

Shale . 

Coal . 

“Blue band” . 

Coal . 

Bone coal . 

Clay . 

Coal . 

Clay . 


Ft. 

2 

2 


2 

1 

1 

1 


Thickness 

In. 

7 

% 

8 
2 

2H 

2 

\]/2 

3 

8 

6 

6 


12 



The “blue band” in this mine appears as a double parting separ¬ 
ated by a few inches of coal, but the upper band of shale is not uni¬ 
form in thickness. 

At Dubois the coal averages 5*4 feet in thickness, and the only 
difference in the character of the bed is the position of the “blue band” 
only 2 or 3 inches above the floor. In the extreme northeast corner of 
the county, which is part of the Centralia field, the coal varies from 5 
feet 4 inches to 8 feet in thickness, and the “blue band” lies from 3 to 
12 inches above the bottom. 

Throughout the district, a considerable amount of gypsum and 
some calcite are deposited in the cleavage planes of the coal. 


ROOF AND FLOOR 

West of the axis of the Duquoin anticline the normal roof of coal 
No. 6 is black shale overlain by a strong, gray limestone. In places a 
gray shale or “white top” partly or entirely replaces the black shale, 
and in others the limestone rests directly on the coal. East of the 
anticline the shale increases in thickness eastward, and what appears to 
be the same limestone that overlies the coal to the west is found 100 
feet or more above it in the southeast corner of the county. 














COUNTY REPORTS 


195 


There seems to be no regular succession of black and gray shale, 
the order depending on local conditions at the time of deposition. At 
the Horn mine near Duquoin gray shale overlies the coal to an average 
height of 12 feet, and in places as much as 23 feet is known. The 
black shale forms the roof in only a small area. At Willisville black 
shale lies over the coal in most of the mine, the maximum thick¬ 
ness being 3 feet. A “white top’’ roof from 2^4 to 4}4 feet thick 
containing numerous slickensides, which cause it to fall when unsup¬ 
ported in circular and lenticular masses, prevails through 15 per cent 
of the mine. The same lenticular, gray shale is seen at the Ritchey 
mine in Pinckneyville where it exists as a lens between the coal and 
black shale throughout 50 per cent of the mine. A dark-colored shale 
ranging in thickness from a mere streak to about 18 inches and aver¬ 
aging from 2 to 4 inches, lies just above the coal in most places. This 
material is removed as a “draw slate” in mining. The “white top” is 
fairly soft and contains a little sand and a few concretions scattered 
through the lower 2 feet, whereas the black shale is very hard and 
sheety. 

At mine No. 1 of the Moffatt Coal Company the limestone cap 
rock is 35 feet thick, the main ledge of which is about 6 feet in thick¬ 
ness and not more than 4 feet above the coal. Where the limestone is 
not in contact with the coal, the intervening space is occupied by black 
or gray shale. Between the limestone and the coal, or between the 
limestone and the black shale, there is in most places a carbonaceous, 
limy shale which is very hard when fresh, but slacks quickly on ex¬ 
posure to the air. It averages 4 inches in thickness and is known to 
reach 12 inches in places. 

In the mines of Washington County a few feet of gray or black 
shale forms the regular roof with a cap rock of limestone. At mine 
No. 5 of the Centralia Coal Company from 9 to 14 inches of top coal 
is left for roof while going forward, but between the coal and the 
limestone three different kinds of roof are found. Figure 36 illus¬ 
trates the occurrence of the ordinary black shale in the eroded areas of 
which the gray shale or “white top" has been deposited. It also 
shows the contact of the cap rock with the coal, no shales intervening. 
Along such a contact the lower part of the limestone is generally im¬ 
pure and poorly bedded. Where the distance between the cap rock 
and the coal is small the shale is practically a draw slate which must be 
removed in mining. 

It is said by the miner that the coal is thickest under the “white 
top”. If this is true, it is probably because none of the top vegetal 
matter was mixed with the gray sediment as it was with the “black 
top.” 


196 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Over the entire region treated in this chapter, the floor is a clay 
of variable thickness and character. In Perry County it has been 
found to range from a few inches to 8 feet or more. In the Paradise 
mine it is generally less than 3 feet in thickness, and it rests on a light- 
gray, compact limestone. It has a marked tendency to heave. In the 
different mines of the county the floor varies from a soft, plastic clay 
to a hard, sandy material containing pebbles or bowlders, especially in 
its lower part. In many places the records show the presence of a 
thin limestone beneath the floor clay, and here and there the coal rests 
on the limestone. 



0 100 Feet 200 300 

Vertical Scale 

0 5 10 

Feet 

Fig. 36.—Roof conditions in Centralia Coal Co., mine No. 5, Centralia. 
(diagrammatic.) 

The greatest irregularity in the floor is noted at Nashville, Wash¬ 
ington County, where a thin coal from 18 inches to 2 feet thick is 
present only 2 or 3 feet below the coal, the lower bed resting on a var¬ 
iable amount of clay, generally less than 3 feet in thickness, and the 
latter underlain by limestone. 

Besides the non-uniformity of the roof materials as described 
above, structural irregularities such as faults, rolls, and slickensides 
render mining more difficult. It is not uncommon in this region to 
find the roof filled with slickensided planes, the result of adjustments 
coincident with slightly irregular settling. These slips are most likely 
to occur in the gray shale, and in many places they do not extend 
downward into the coal. In some ai;eas the slips run parallel to one 
another in certain directions, and the roof falls in wedge-like masses. 
At Moffatt Coal Company’s mine No. 1, Sparta, the limestone is af¬ 
fected and falls in masses similar in shape to the shale wedges, a coiv 
dition somewhat unusual. In other places some of the slips extend 
downward into the coal but not through it, and it is plain that unequal 
strain has simply forced a small part of the roof downward into the 
coal, and the resulting structure is known as a “roll”. If the strain 
is sufficiently great the entire bed is fractured and displaced. No 
regularity is discernible in the rolls and prediction of their presence is 
impossible. 









































COUNTY REPORTS 


197 


Numerous small faults are encountered throughout the area, the 
throw amounting to only a few feet. The greater number of these 
displacements is east of the Duquoin fold along the steep eastward 
dip. They are well shown in the Paradise and Majestic mines where 
they run slightly northeast-southwest. The largest fault at Paradise 
was found on the main west entry. It is a step fault with a down¬ 
throw of at least 20 feet towards the west. The exact amount could 
not be measured at the time of examination. It is probable that this 
is the fault the continuation of which was found in the Majestic mine. 

The presence of stringers of coal in the overlying shale is an¬ 
other cause of roof trouble in parts of Perry County. They have 
been noted only in the vicinity of Duquoin, being especially developed 
in the Horn and Paradise mines. Figures 37, 38, 39, 40 and 41 



Scale in feet 


0 1 2 3 4 5 

Fig. 37 .—Coal stringer, Brilliant Coal and Coke Co., Horn mine, Duquoin 
(West plug 6 th N., 4700 feet from shaft.) 


show typical stringers covering lenticular masses of roof shale as 
sketched in the mines mentioned. Almost every stringer is some¬ 
where joined to the main coal; in other words, they are not later de¬ 
posits. In this area most individual stringers do not exceed 1 foot in 
thickness, whereas most of them range from a mere streak to a few 
inches. Ordinarily a single stringer cannot be traced more than 20 or 
30 feet along an entry. Considered in their entirety, they are thin 
layers of coal at the top of the bed, separated in places from the main 
coal by an irregularly shaped, lenticular mass of material similar to 
the roof shale. In the vicinity of the larger lenses, small movement 
planes may be found in the coal below, and slickensides are noticeable 
along the contact of the shale and coal. T. F. Savage 7 regards them 


"Savage, T. E., Econ. Geol. vol. 2, p. 1/8. 
















































































































































































198 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


as having been formed by unequal settling of the coal and roof ma¬ 
terial where the latter is capable of flowage in the geological sense, in 
order to adjust unequal strains. 

It is not regarded advisable here to discuss at length the possible 
modes of origin of the lenses. In a general way they appear to be due 
to peculiar conditions of sedimentation at the close of the period that 



Fig. 38. —Coal stringer, Brilliant Coal & Coke Co., Horn mine, Duquoin. 
(7th. W.-N., 2700 feet from shaft.) 



Scale in feet 


0 1 2 3 4 5 

Fig. 39. —Coal stringer, Brilliant Coal & Coke Co., Horn mine, Dnquoin. 
(7th west, north entry.) 

produced the vegetal matter for coal No. 6. In comparatively small 
areas after the incursion of slowly moving waters bearing fine sedi¬ 
ment and filling therewith many of the hollows at the surface of the 
coal swamp, a period ensued during which vegetal matter, fallen or 
transported, covered to varying depths many of the depressions that 
had previously been filled with sediment. Subsidence of the swamps 



















































































































































































































COUNTY REPORTS 


199 


permitted the deposition of the main mass of roof material, and the 
later adjustments as evidenced by the slickensides appear to have re¬ 
sulted from the wide difference in the compressibility of shale and 
vegetal matter by the weight of the overburden. 



Fig. 40. —Coal stringer, Paradise Coal Co., Paradise mine, Duquoin. (Main 
west entry, 2000 feet from shaft.) 



Fig. 41.—Small coal stringer, Paradise Coal Co., Paradise mine, Duquoin 
(150 feet from stringer shown in fig. 41.) 


The lenses have but little effect on the quantity of minable coal, 
but their deleterious influence on the roof renders them troublesome 
features. Dangerous falls are numerous because the “slip" planes in 
the lenses and in many places along the coal stringers destroy any co¬ 
hesion inherent in the shale, and it falls unexpectedly when the coal 
is mined, unless much careful timbering is done. 

Other Coals 

Except the outcrop of the lower coals at the south, informa¬ 
tion regarding their existence, thickness, and character must be gained 
from drill-hole records. In the early years of settlement and before 





























































200 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


any large demand for coal existed, two or three of the thin beds above 
coal No. 6 were mined by drifts along the outcrop. A. H. Worthen 
mentions the highest coal in Washington County not far southeast of 
Ashley. It is only one foot thick and is of course commercially uninv 
portant. 

The next consistent bed is found 15 to 50 feet below the Shoal 
Creek limestone, and it does not generally exceed 14 inches in thick¬ 
ness. The following list of exposures of coal No. 9 is quoted from 
Worthen. “It is exposed on the Okaw River in the southeast quarter 
of section 1, township 1, range 6; and was found in the trial shaft four 
miles west of Nashville in the southeast quarter of section 17, town¬ 
ship 2, range 3; also in the Nashville shaft in the southeast quarter of 
section 13, township 2, range 3; then on the upper course of a branch 
in the southwest quarter, corner of section 5, township 3, range 2; on 
Beaucoup Creek, and also on a branch in the southwest quarter of 
section 35, township 2, range 2; and near Little Muddy Creek in the 
north part of section 21, township 3, range 1 W ”. Although it is not 
a commercial bed, it is a good horizon marker a short distance below 
the limestone. 

A thin bed, coal No. 8, generally a few inches thick lies in places 
about 180 feet above coal No. 6, and coal No. 7 is usually developed 
30 to 50 feet above coal No. 6. It is in most places too thin to be 
commercial, although some drillers report it 3 or 4 feet thick. Most 
of these holes were made by the churn drill for oil. and it is believed 
that coal No. 7 does not average more than 1 foot in thickness; for 
this reason is not regarded an important possibility as a commercial 
coal bed. 

Along the outcrop in Randolph County, coal No. 5 is found 40 to 
60 feet below coal No. 6 and has an average thickness of about 3 feet. 
Several records from wells in the vicinity of the Sparta oil field show 
three coals within 100 feet below coal No. 6, the first being about 4 feet 
thick and 20 feet below the Belleville coal; the second, 2 to 4 feet 
thick and 40 feet lower; and the third, 3 feet thick and slightly more 
than 30 feet below the last. It is believed that the bed 40 feet below 
coal No. 6 represents coal No. 5 and the others are apparently local 
developments which are not traceable throughout the northeast part 
of the county. It is thought highly probable that at least one coal bed 
exists below coal No. 6 sufficiently thick to render it valuable in the 
future when the main coal is extracted. It is reported in only one 
hole drilled for water at Baldwin. At this place it was found at a 
depth of 300 feet practically 250 feet below coal No. 6 and is devel¬ 
oped to a thickness of A l /> feet. Careful diamond drilling may yet 


COUNTY REPORTS 


201 


disclose the existence of coal No. 2 underlying the northeast part of 
the county. 

In Washington County only a few logs record coal below No. 6. 
In the Finke well, sec. 12, T. 2 S., R. 3 W., a 5-foot bed is reported 
about 105 feet below coal No. 6. The Shoup well in sec. 14, T. 3 S., 
R. 4 W. penetrates coal No. 5, 3 feet thick, at a depth of 300 feet, 70 
feet below coal No. 6. It is not likely that these two beds are the 
same, since the interval between them and coal No. 6 is so different. 
It is probable that lenses of coal below No. 6 exist in Washington 
County, and that future drilling will develop areas suitable for ex¬ 
ploitation. With the present information, however, any estimate of 
the areal distribution of such coals would be worthless. 

Of all the drill holes in Perry County, only 9 of those in posses¬ 
sion of the survey record coals below No. 6. Most of the holes 
are stopped at the horizon of coal No. 6, and in some of the oil holes 
no coals are recorded, the absence being due no doubt to carelessness 
in noting the drillings from the upper part of the well. 

In the vicinity of Pinckneyville and southwest of this place on 
Galum Creek, a few holes record a coal 25 to 30 feet below coal No. 6. 
The bed varies considerably in thickness, but in places it is known to 
be more than 4 feet. It is probable that this bed represents the Har¬ 
risburg (No. 5) coal, although the interval between it and coal No. 6 
is smaller than normal. About 250 feet below coal No. 6, a single 
bed, or in places two beds close together, are reported in a majority of 
the holes. It is reported to vary from a foot or two to almost 5 feet, 
and its persistent development renders it a promising bed for pros¬ 
pecting. Several lenticular beds between 2 and 6 feet thick are re¬ 
ported, and it is not always possible to correlate the continuous beds 
correctly. In the record given below, coal No. 2 may be represented 
by the 3-foot 5-inch bed 220 feet below coal No. 6 or by the thin beds, 
the topmost of which lies 244 feet below No. 6. 


Record of drill hole 

Location—Galum Creek, Perry County, on line of W. C. & W. R. R., July, ’87 


Description of Strata- 


Thickness 


Depth 


Surface soil . 

Shale, black . 

Limestone, dark blue 

“Slate”, black . 

Coal (No. 6). 

Fire clay . 

Limestone . 

Shale, soft, white 
Limestone, light gray 


Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

17 

6 

17 

6 

1 

10 

19 

4 

8 

8 

28 

• • 

2 

6 

30 

6 

5 

10 

36 

4 

1 

6 

37 

10 

1 

3 

39 

1 

2 

3 

41 

4 

2 


43 

4 





















202 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 


Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Shale, sandy . 

7 

10 

51 

2 

Limestone, hard, white. 

6 

7 

57 

9 

Shale, hard, gray. 

2 

• . 

59 

9 

Limestone, hard, blue. 

. . 

6 

60 

3 

Coal (No. 5). 

4 

8 

64 

11 

Fire clay . 

11 

1 

76 

• • 

Limestone . 

. , 

9 

76 

9 

Shale . 

2 

• . 

78 

9 

Shales, sandy with a little sandstone.... 

40 

1 

118 

10 

Shales, sandy . 

12 

6 

131 

4 

Shales, blue with limestone nodules. 

5 

3 

136 

7 

Limestone . 

1 

4 

137 

11 

“Slate”, black . 

8 

3 

146 

2 

Coal . 

3 

1 

149 

3 

“Soapstone”, gray . 

1 

8 

150 

11 

Coal . 

. , 

2 

151 

1 

Shales, dark, with sulphur nodules. 

2 

4 

153 

5 

Shales, gray, with iron pyrites. 

. . 

9 

154 

2 

Shale, gray . 

. . 

10 

155 

• • 

Shale, black, with limestone nodules.... 

6 

2 

161 

2 

Limestone . 

. # 

1 

161 

3 

Shales . 

13 

10 

175 

1 

“Slate”, black . 

2 

9 

177 

10 

Coal . 

2 

2 

180 


“Slate”, dark gray. 

1 

11 

181 

11 

Shales, gray with sulphur. 

6 

7 

188 

6 

Limestone . 

, # 

7 

189 

1 

Rock, hard, brown. 

, . 

2 

189 

3 

Shale, green . 

. , 

9 

190 

. # 

Shales, sandy, and sandstone. 

3 

. , 

193 

* # 

Shales, with 4 inches sandstone and 4 
inches limestone. 

15 

4 

208 

4 

Limestone, brown. 

# . 

3 

208 

7 

Shales . 

9 

8 

218 

3 

Coal . 

1 

6 

219 

9 

Shales, green, clay. 

. • 

6 

220 

3 

Limestone . 

. . 

11 

221 

2 

Coal . 

2 

6 

223 

8 

Fire clay . 

1 

7 

225 

3 

Shale, gray . 


8 

225 

11 

Limestone, sandy . 


8 

226 

7 

Shale, gray, with limestone nodules. 


9 

227 

4 

Shale, dark . 


5 

227 

9 

Coal, soft, and rock mixed. 


9 

228 

6 

Shales, brown and gray, with limestone 
nodules . 

7 

6 

236 


Shales . 

12 

9 

248 

9 

Sandstone . 

4 

6 

253 

3 

“Slate”, black with sulphur. 

1 

7 

254 

10 






































































COUNTY REPORTS 


203 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 


Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Shales, black with fossils. 

# # 

4 

255 

2 

Coal . 

3 

5 

258 

1 

“Slate”, black . 


5 

259 

% # 

Shales, dark, sandy. 

8 

7 

267 

7 

Shale, gray, with limestone nodules.... 

1 

9 

269 

4 

Shale, hard, gray. 

5 

11 

275 

3 

Rock, hard . 

, , 

1 

275 

4 

Shale . 

. , 

10 

276 

2 

Rock, hard . 

, . 

3 

276 

5 

Shale, dark, gray. 

6 

3 

282 

3 

Coal . 

1 

7 

283 

10 

Shale, dark, with limestone nodules.... 

2 

2 

286 

, , 

Shales, sandy and gray. 

6 

9 

292 

9 

“Slate” and coal mixed. 

• . 

1 

292 

10 

Shales . 

5 

, , 

297 

10 

Coal and slate mixed. 

• • 

4 

298 

2 

Shales . 

28 

9 

326 

11 

Sandstone, white, with thin coal seams.. 

1 

. . 

327 

11 

Millstone grit . 

14 

8 

342 

7 

Sandstone, pebble . 

1 


343 

7 


The following table shows the location of holes in Perry County 
that have penetrated coals below No. 6. 


Table 15 —Position and thicknesses of coals below coal No. 6 in Perry County 


Location 

Depth below 

Thickness 

Coal bed 

H 

K 

Sec, 

T. S. 

R. w. 

No. 6 coal 






Feet 

Ft. In. 




25 

4 

4 

110 

2 4 




35 

5 

4 

24 

4 8 

No. 5 






110 

3 1 







141 

2 1 







181 

1 6 







185 

2 6 







219 

3 5 







246 

1 7 

No. 2? 


NE 

3 

6 

2 

116 

2 .. 







233 

3 .. 

No. 2 

. , 

NE 

3 

6 

2 

233 

3 .. 

No. 2 


NE 

18 

6 

2 

120 ± 

1 7 







2404 

3 .. 

No. 2 

SE 

SW 

19 

6 

2 

235 ± 

4 7 

No. 2 

NW 

sw 

17 

6 

3 

224 

5±.. 

No. 2 

















































204 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


From the material available for study it seems certain that coal 
No. 5 underlies at least parts of Perry County in workable thickness. 
Since it lies within 50 or 60 feet below coal No. 6, the extra drilling 
should always be done to determine the thickness and character of the 
lower bed. 

It is almost certain that at least some coal exists at the horizon of 
coal No. 2, and its high quality in the Murphysboro district will later 
stimulate prospecting for it in Perry County. Careful drilling will 
probably outline areas in which it will be commercial, but such ex¬ 
plorations will probably not be be undertaken until coal No. 6 has 
largely been removed. 

SHELBY AND MOULTRIE COUNTIES 
Production and Mines 

SHELBY 

Production in tons for year ended June 30, 1913. .. . 202,968 


Average annual production, 1909 to 1913. 89,868 

Total production, 1881 to 1913.1,989,116 

MOULTRIE 

Production in tons, year ended June 30, 1913. 105,280 s 

Total production to 1912. 181,335 


Shelby and Moultrie counties are not large producers of coal. 
During the year ended June 30, 1913, Shelby County’s output was 
3/10 of 1 per cent of that for Illinois, and Moultrie mined only a 
little more than half as much. The lack of large mining operations 
is due in large part to the great depth of coal No. 6 which lies from 
600 to 900 feet below the surface in these counties. Moreover, the 
coal does not underlie the entire area, and investors hesitate to spend 
large sums in testing deep territory as long as any shallower coal is 
available. In the future when the coal nearer the surface becomes 
scarce, drilling and mining operations will be pushed eastward into 
parts of Moultrie County. At present Tower Hill Coal Company 
No. 1, at Tower Hill, and Lovington Coal Mining Company, No. 1 at 
Lovington, are the only mines operating coal No. 6 in the two counties. 
In Shelby County coal No. 5, the Springfield bed, is mined at Mowea- 
qua, and a 2-foot bed lying from 50 to 160 feet below the surface and 
about 700 feet above coal No. 6 is being mined in a small way in the 
vicinity of Shelbyville. Worthen mentions early mining from this 
bed which he calls coal No. 15, or the “Shelby Coal”, and also from 

s Lovington Coal Mining Company No. 1, the only mine in Moultrie County, began 
to produce in 1909. 






COUNTY REPORTS 


205 


his coal No. 14, which varies in thickness from 16 to 22 inches. The 
latter was worked formerly in the south part of sec. 15, T. 9 N., 
R. 1 W. It lies a few feet above the New Haven limestone; where¬ 
as the coal now being worked is 100 to 120 feet above this horizon. 

Below is a list of shipping mines in the two counties. 


Table 16. — List of shipping mines, Shelby and Moultrie counties, 1913 


Map No. 

Company 

Mine 

Coal bed 

Location 

Surf. elev. 

Depth to coal No. 6 

Alt. top coal No. 6 

Average thickness 

Production 1913 

Z A 


Sec. 

& 

H 

W 

Pi 










Feet 

Feet 

Feet 

Ft. In. 

Tons 


Shelby County — 













1 

Tower Hill 



1 











Coal Co. 

1 

6 

NW 

NW 

23 

11 

2 

665 

798 

-133 

7 . . 

145,756 

2 

Moweaqua Coal 



1 

l 










Mining & Mfg. 

1 

5 


NW 

31 

14 

2 

635 

620 

15 

5 4 

49,813 


Co. 


6 







580 

55 

5 7 



Moultrie County — 













1 

Lovington Coal 














Co. 

1 

6 

NE 

SE 

27 

15 

5 

680 

904 

-224 

8 . . 

105,280 


CoAL-BEARING ROCKS 

Eighteen logs available for study in Shelby County and two in 
Moultrie show a remarkable similarity, especially since they were ob¬ 
tained from various sources. About 1450 feet of “Coal Measures” 
rocks are known from drill records, and it is likely that a somewhat 
greater thickness exists along the eastern border of these counties. 

The most striking characteristics of the logs when plotted by 
symbols and placed side by side are coals No. 6 and No. 7 and as¬ 
sociated limestones between 700 and 800 feet below the surface, a 

group of thin limestones 250 to 300 feet above coal No. 6, represent¬ 
ing the Carlinville and Shoal Creek, and another thick limestone 200 
to 250 feet above the latter and regarded as the New Haven. The 

latter is regularly developed to a thickness of 20 to 50 feet in every 

log studied from the two counties. Very little sandstone exists above 
coal No. 6. Below this coal the logs are much less regular. No dis¬ 
tinct limestones or sandstones are traceable throughout the area, but 
in a general way the beds are more sandy. Lenticular coals are 
noted especially at the horizons of coals No. 5 and No. 2, although 
only a few of the logs record such beds. 



































206 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Lying beneath the “Coal Measures" are the interbedded lime¬ 
stones, sandstones, and red shales of the Chester. Tn drilling for 
coal it is not necessary to penetrate all of the “Coal Measures" rocks, 
since all the important beds lie within 300 feet below coal No. 6. 

The following logs will aid the driller in identifying the beds in 
Shelby and Moultrie counties. 


Drill record of H. L. Hargrave 
Farm—T. Vidler 

Location—Sec. 8 ,‘T. 10 N., R. 1 E. 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 


Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Clay, hard, and pebbles. 

17 

. , 

17 

• • 

Sand, gravel, clay. 

14 


31 

• . 

Clay, dark . 

55 

6 

86 

6 

Shale, lime . 

1 


87 

6 

“Slate” . 

. . 

6 

88 


Coal . 

1 


89 


Drift . 

5 


94 


Shale, lime . 

7 


101 


Shale, blue . 

3 


104 


Limestone (New Haven). 

37 


141 


Sandstone, soft . 

6 


147 


Shale, dark, sandy. 

17 


164 


Shale, dark . 

59 


223 


Coal . 

1 


224 

Shale, gray . 

11 


235 


Shale, brown . 

4 


239 


Shale, blue . 

9 


248 


Shale, dark . 

22 


270 


“Slate”, black. 

2 


272 


Coal . 

1 


273 


Shale, blue . 

18 

.. 

291 


Shale, dark . 

4 


295 


Sandstone, hard . 

3 


298 


Shale, dark, sandv. 

24 


322 


Shale, dark, with limestone bands. 

8 


330 


Shale, dark. 

17 


347 


Shale, black . 

1 


348 


Shale, blue . 

8 


356 


Shale, blue, with limestone bands. 

3 


359 


Shale, blue . 

13 


372 


Limestone (Shoal Creek). 

14 


386 


Shale, dark . 

1 


387 


“Slate”, black . 

3 

6 

390 

6 

Shale, brown . 

3 

6 

394 


Shale, dark . 

7 


401 


Coal . 

1 

. # 

402 


Shale, dark . 

2 


404 
































































COUNTY REPORTS 


207 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 


Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

“Soapstone”, light . 

13 

# # 

417 


Shale, dark . 

9 


426 


“Slate”, black . 

5 


431 


Limestone (Carlinville?) and lime shale 

22 


453 


Shale, hard . 

28 


481 


Shale, soft . 

45 


526 


Coal (No. 8 ). 

, , 

6 

526 

6 

Fire clay, soft, white. 

1 

6 

528 


Shale, light . 

1 


529 


Sandstone . 

3 


532 


Shale, light, sandy. 

8 


540 


Shale, dark . 

77 


617 


Shale, very dark. 

4 


621 


Shale, light blue. 

3 


624 


Shale, blue, with limestone bands. 

2 


626 


Shale, blue . 

4 


630 


Shale, soft, black. 

2 


632 


Shale, dark . 

5 

6 

637 

6 

Limestone . 

6 

6 

664 


Shale, dark blue and yellow. 

2 

• . 

646 


Shale, dark . 

4 

. . 

650 


Shale, red . 

. . 

6 

650 

6 

Shale, blue . 

1 

6 

652 


Shale, black . 

4 

. . 

656 


Limestone and shale. 

2 

. . 

658 


Shale, blue . 

4 

8 

662 

8 

Coal (No. 7). 

3 

6 

666 

2 

Shale, blue . 

1 

1 

667 

3 

Limestone, soft . 

4 

11 

672 

2 

Shale, hard, black. 

2 

1 

674 

3 

“Slate”, black . 

• • 

9 

675 

. • 

Shale, blue . 

1 

. . 

676 

. . 

Shale, sandy, lime. 

2 

9 

678 

9 

Shale, blue . 

1 

6 

680 

3 

Limestone . 

1 

4 

681 

7 

Shale, blue . 

. . 

8 

682 

3 

Limestone . 

• • 

11 

683 

2 

Shale, soft, dark. 


10 

684 

. • 

Shale, hard, dark . 

3 

. * 

687 

• • 

Limestone . 

2 

• • 

689 

. • 

Shale, dark . 

1 

• • 

690 

• • 

“Slate”, black . 

2 

4 

692 

4 

Coal (No. 6). 

Fire glav. hard. 

6 

6 

698 

10 
































































208 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Record of Shelby Coal, Oil, and Natural Gas Co. well 

Location—Shelbyville 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 


Ft. In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Clay and bowlder. 

19 

19 


Shale, blue . 

20 5 

39 

5 

Coal . 

1 1 

40 

6 


Fire clay . 

“Soapstone” . 

Sandstone . 

“Soapstone”, gray . 

Shale, sandstone . 

Shale, blue . 

Shale, bituminous .. 

Coal (mined at Shelbyville) . . 

Fire clay . 

Shale, gray . 

Sandstone, hard . 

Shale, sandstone . 

Coal conglomerate . 

Shale, gray . 

Shale with sandstone partings. 

Sandstone . 

Shale, blue . 

Shale, fossil . 

Coal . 

Shale, clay . 

Limestone (New Haven). 

Shale, clay . 

Limestone. 

Limestone . 

Shale, blue . 

Shale, blue . 

Sandstone . 

Shale, blue . 

Coal . 

Shale, clay . 

Sandstone . 

Shale, gray . 

Shale, clay, and limestone beds. 

Shale, clay . 

Shale, bituminous, black. 

Rock, fossil . 

Coal . 

Fire clay . 

Shale, clay . 

Sandstone . 

Shale, sandstone . 

Shale and sandstone partings.. 

Shale, black . 

Coal . 


3 

12 

1 

3 

30 

8 

1 

1 

7 

4 
14 

2 

9 

3 

19 


10 

7 

3 

5 

29 

18 

36 

5 

10 

5 

9 

5 

5 

6 
21 

2 

1 

10 

7 

11 

15 

1 

1 


6 

6 

10 

2 


5 

2 

5 


9 

9 


6 

6 


6 

6 


6 

10 

8 


44 

56 

57 
60 
90 
98 

100 

100 

102 

109 

113 

127 

127 

130 

139 

142 

161 

161 

162 

173 

180 

183 

185 

215 

233 

269 

274 

285 

285 

290 

299 

304 

309 

315 

336 

339 

339 

341 

351 

358 

369 

384 

385 

386 


6 

10 


5 

7 


9 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 


6 

6 

6 

10 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

8 


VO VO VC 










































































COUNTY REPORTS 


209 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 


Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Shale, black . 

6 

10 

393 

6 

Fire clay . 

4 


397 

6 

Limestone . 

1 

# # 

398 

6 

Shale, gray . 

9 

, , 

407 

6 

Sandstone. 

5 


412 

6 

Limestone (Shoal Creek). 

10 

6 

423 

. . 

Shale, black . 

1 

6 

424 

6 

Coal . 

, . 

2 

424 

8 

Shale, clay . 

10 

10 

435 

6 

Sandstone . 

4 

. . 

439 

6 

Limestone . 

1 

6 

441 

• . 

Shale, gray . 

4 

6 

445 

6 

Shale, gray . 

22 


467 

6 

Shale, gray . 

4 


471 

6 

Shale, fossil . 

2 


473 

6 

Fire clay . 

6 


479 

6 

Shale, black . 

4 


483 

6 

Sandstone . 

6 


489 

6 

Shale, sandstone . 

25 


514 

6 

Shale, blue . 

21 


535 

6 

Shale, black . 

1 


536 

6 

Shale, blue . 

6 


542 

6 

Rock, fossil . 

. . 

10 

543 

4 

Shale, black . 

1 

. . 

544 

4 

Coal (No. 8). 

. . 

6 

544 

10 

Fire clay . 

2 

8 

547 

6 

Shale, gray . 

15 

. . 

562 

6 

Shale, blue . 

10 

. . 

572 

10 

Limestone . 

9 

• . 

581 

10 

Shale, blue . 

2 

6 

584 

4 

Limestone . 

5 

6 

589 

10 

Shale, gray . 

3 


592 

10 

Shale, striped . 

7 


599 

10 

Shale, blue . 

10 


609 

10 

Shale, gray. 

26 


635 

10 

Coal . 

3 


638 

10 

“Slate,” clay. 

8 


646 

10 

Limestone . 

3 


649 

10 

Shale, gray. 

25 


674 

10 

Shale, sandstone . 

15 


689 

10 

Shale with sandstone partings. 

10 


699 

10 

Sandstone . 

3 


702 

10 

Shale, sandstone . 

2 


704 

10 

Sandstone . 

8 


712 

10 

Shale, sandstone . 

10 


722 

10 

Sandstone . 

22 

11 

745 

9 

Coal (N'o. 6). 

1 

1 

746 

10 

Sandstone with coal. 

1 


747 

10 

Sandstone, soft . 

15 


762 

10 









































































210 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Description of Strata 

Thickness 

Depth 

H1 ' I p I H m 

Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

Sandstone . 

69 

10 

832 

8 

Sandstone (coal partings). 

. . 

1 

832 

9 

Sandstone . 

17 

1 

849 

10 

Sandstone . 

29 

9 

879 

7 

Coal . 

, . 

1 

879 

8 

Shale, sandstone . 

2 

2 

881 

10 

Shale, gray . 

16 

. . 

897 

10 

Shale, black . 

7 

8 

905 

6 

Coal . 

1 

4 

906 

10 

Shale, sandstone . 

1 

6 

908 

4 

Sandstone . 

9 

6 

917 

10 

Shale, sandstone . 

19 

. . 

936 

10 

Shale, black . 

2 

. . 

938 

10 

Coal . 

. . 

9 

939 

7 

Sandstone (?) . 

15 

3 

954 

10 

Shale, sandstone . 

24 

• . 

978 

10 

Shale, blue . 

3 

8 

982 

6 

Shale, bituminous . 

1 

6 

984 

# . 

Coal (No. 2?). 

2 

10 

986 

10 

Shale, blue . 

2 

, # 

988 

10 

Sandstone (?) . 

6 

. , 

994 

10 

Shale, black . 

3 


997 

10 

Shale, blue . 

2 

, , 

999 

10 

Coal . 

, . 

8 

1000 

6 

Shale, clay . 

1 

4 

1001 

10 

Shale, blue . 

8 

5 

1010 

3 

Coal (No. 2?). 

3 

8 

1013 

11 

Fire clay . 

1 

3 

1015 

2 

Sandstone . 

2 

, . 

1017 

2 

Shale, gray . 

4 

, , 

1021 

2 

Limestone . 

2 

10 

1024 


Shale, black . 

, . 

2 

1024 

2 

Shale, gray. 

6 

6 

1030 

8 

Shale, black . 

2 

6 

1033 

2 

Coal . 

. . 

1 

1033 

3 

Shale, clay . 

6 

6 

1039 

9 

Limestone . 

1 

6 

1041 

3 

Shale, gray . 

6 


1047 

3 

Limestone, bastard . 

2 


1049 

3 

Shale, bituminous . 

3 


1052 

3 

Shale, black . 

4 


1056 

3 

Shale, sandstone . 

7 


1063 

3 

Shale, gray . 

3 


1066 

3 

Coal (No. 1?) . 

2 

9 

1069 


Fire clay . 

1 


1070 


Shale, gray. 

11 


1081 


Shale, black . 

4 


1085 


Limestone, fossil. 

1 

, , 

1086 


Coal . 

1 

9 

l 1087 

9 

































































COUNTY REPORTS 


211 


Description of Strata 


Fire clay . . 
Shale, black 

Coal . 

Fire clay . .. 
Shale, clay . 

Coal . 

Shale, gray 
Shale, blue . 

Coal . 

Sandstone . 
Shale . 


Thickness 


Depth 


Ft. 

In. 

Ft. 

In. 

3 

3 

1091 

, . 

1 

10 

1092 

10 

1 

2 

1094 

. , 

4 

. , 

1098 


9 

. . 

1107 

. . 

1 

9 

1108 

9 

12 

9 

1121 

6 

37 

9 

1158 

3 

• • 

3 

1158 

6 

8 

. . 

1166 

6 

5 

. . 

1171 

6 


The 3-foot coal 106 feet above the horizon of coal No. 6 is not in 
proper position for coal No. 7, and it appears to be a small lens. It is 
possible that this bed does represent coal No. 7, since wherever it 
appears too high in the section, coal No. 6 is either thin or absent, due 
to erosion or to some condition which prevented regular deposition and 
it is scarcely to be expected that the intervals between 6 and adjacent 
beds will be regular. 

The limestone cap rock of coal No. 6 is not present, a fact which 
argues for erosive action, and the coal itself is represented by only 13 
inches. Coal No. 2 is probably represented by the 2-foot 10-inch bed 
at a depth of 986, or by the 3-foot 8-inch bed at 1009, and coal No. 1 is 
found at 1065 having a thickness of 2 feet 9 inches. The lower coals 
are not reported in any of the other logs, and it is likely they are small 
lenses. It is believed that the so called 8-foot coal at the bottom of the 
hole is really a black shale since no such coal is known in any other 
part of the State. 


Geologic Structure 

The geologic structure of the beds in Shelby and Moultrie coun¬ 
ties is not known in detail. The holes are confined to the southern 
half of Shelby and the town of Lovington in Moultrie, and they are so 
scattered over the area that postulation of detailed structure is impos¬ 
sible. 

In the northwestern part of Shelby County, at Moweaqua coal 
No. 6 lies 55 feet above sea level; whereas at Lovington 22 miles 
slightly north of east the same bed is 209 feet below sea level, a con¬ 
dition indicating a dip of 12 feet per mile. Along an east-west line 
from Pana, Christian County, to Shelbyville the coal dips east at the 
rate of about 10 feet per mile. In the southeast part of the County, 
however, there are two holes in which coal No. 6 is higher than at 
Shelbyville. In sec. 24, T. 10 N., R. 4 E. the coal is about 70 feet 





















212 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


higher than at Shelbyville, although if regular dips prevailed, it would 
be somewhat lower. About 8 J /2 miles east of the last hole mentioned 
is another in which the horizon of coal No. 6 is 35 feet higher than in 
the first. The eastern part of Shelby lies in the trough that runs 
parallel to the La Salle anticline on the west. The dip of the beds in 
this part of the county is apparently to the west. The position of the 
coal in the few wells available for study points to the fact that the 
lower part of the Illinois coal basin undulates, and that small folds of 
different types may be expected. Again it may be true that the axis 
of the trough may not be parallel to the La Salle anticline, but may run 
slightly east of north. The strike of the beds is represented by a line 
connecting Shelbyville and Lovington at each of which the coal lies 
practically 200 feet below sea level. The fact that the coal is only 40 
feet below sea level in sec. 24, T. 6 N., R. 2 W., Fayette County, seems 
to indicate that an east-west anticline the axis of which lies in T. 10 N. 
separates synclinal basins on the north and south, all these features be¬ 
ing parts of the general trough-like basin. 

Coal No. 6 

DISTRIBUTION AND THICKNESS 

The holes that have been drilled in Shelby County lie south of a 
line drawn east and west through Shelbyville. The logs indicate that 
the south boundary of the area in which coal No. 6 is thin or absent as 
shown in Christian County continues eastward into Shelby and extends 
east and south toward the southeast corner of the county. Its exact 
position between Tower Hill and Shelbyville is unknown. It is be¬ 
lieved that the largest block of coal No. 6 exists in the following town¬ 
ships : 

T. 9 N., Rs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and northwestern part of 5 E. 

T. 10 N., Rs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and western part of 5 E. 

T. 11 N., Rs. 2 and south ^4 of 3 E. 

Coal No. 6 is either absent or too thin to be commercial in the vi¬ 
cinity of Shelbyville, which lies near the southern boundary of the an¬ 
cient drainage area. The northern boundary of this area enters 
Shelby County a short distance northeast of Assumption but cannot 
be traced because of meager information. Coal No. 6 is known to 
exist at Moweaqua in the northwest corner of the county where it is 
5 feet 7 inches thick but at this place coal No. 5 (Springfield coal) is 
mined. No holes have been drilled east of Moweaqua. It is possible 
that this barren area connects with the eroded crest of the La Salle 
anticline but no proof is available at this time. 

Throughout the townships listed above, coal No. 6 averages about 
6 l / 2 feet in thickness. At Tower Hill mine the bed is somewhat 


COUNTY REPORTS 


213 


thicker and probably averages 7 feet. The only information regard¬ 
ing coal No. 6 in Moultrie County is derived from the Lovington mine 
and two nearby drill boles. At the mine the coal varies in thickness 
from 4 to 9 l / 2 feet, the average being 8 feet. It seems probable that 
the Lovington coal lies on the north side of the wide erosion area des¬ 
cribed earlier in this chapter, and that this is a local thickening of the 
coal. The mine is located on the north boundary of the area in which 
coal No. 6 is workable, and the variability in thickness is due prob¬ 
ably to its proximity to the edge of the ancient swamp. Whether a 
solid block of coal underlies the surface from Lovington west to 
Moweaqua and Blue Mound is uncertain; but there is little doubt that 
if such a connected coal exists, it does not attain so great a thickness 
as at Lovington. 


PHYSICAL CHARACTER 

Coal No. 6 has been seen in only two mines, Tower Hill and Lov¬ 
ington. At the former the average thickness is a little more than 7 
feet. Figure 42 shows graphically the physical character of coal No. 6 



Fig. 42 . —Graphic section of coal No. 6 in Shelby County. Tower Hill 
Coal Co., mine No. 1, Tower Hill. 


in Shelby County. The top coal about 16 inches thick is the best; the 
middle bench contains a number of pyrite bands some of which are V/ 2 
inches thick. The “blue band,” which is only about 12 inches from the 
floor, is thicker than usual, three inches of it having been measured in 
one section of the mine where it was overlain by 6 or 8 inches of more 
or less impure coal. In a few places small clay seams varying from 1 to 
12 inches in thickness extend 2 or 3 feet into the coal from the top, but 
rarely cut the entire bed. 

At Lovington the top coal is about 30 inches thick in parts of the 
mine, and the “blue band” lies as much as 24 inches above the floor 
where the bed is thickest. Figure 43 shows the physical character of 












214 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


coal No. 6 in parts of Moultrie County. The middle bench contains a 
number of pyrite bands varying in width from a mere streak to about 1 
inch. About 300 feet south of the shaft on the main entry the bed 
measures 9 feet 4 inches in thickness which is 2 feet in excess of the 
average for district VII. 



Fig. 43.—Graphic sections of coal No. 6 in Moultrie County. Lovington 
Coal Mining Co., Lovington. 

1. Cross-cut between man-way and air-way. 

2. Room 1, back south entry. 

3. Main south entry, 300 feet from shaft. 

ROOF AND FLOOR 

Where coal No. 6 exists in its normal thickness, the regular suc¬ 
cession of shale and limestone roof materials is present, but in the 
area where the coal is reduced in thickness, as at Shelbyville, the roof 
has also been affected. In most of the holes located north and east of 
the line representing the approximate boundary between normal coal 
on the south and thin coal on the north, the roof consists of shale, 
sandstone, or a mixture of the two instead of the limestone. At 
Tower Hill the limestone lies on the coal in a few places, but over 
most of the mine shale attaining a thickness of 6 feet intervenes. It 
is also reported that above the regular top coal and separated from it 
































COUNTY REPORTS 


215 


by a few inches of black shale, there is in places at Tower Hill a thin 
lenticular coal. Such a condition has also been noted at the new mine 
of the Nokomis Coal Company in Montgomery County. The roof at 
Lovington consists of about 2)/ 2 feet of shale overlain by 9 feet of 
limestone. 

Fourteen feet of shale underlies coal No. 6 at Lovington, and be¬ 
low this a 4-foot coal is reported. Such a coal is not mentioned in the 
log of the shaft, and it is probably lenticular. At Tower Hill the un¬ 
derclay varies from 3 to 4 feet. No regular succession of beds exists 
below coal No. 6; some of the logs show limestone under the floor 
clay, but others show only shale or sandstone. 

Coal No. 5 

The only mine operating coal No. 5 in District VII is located at 
Moweaqua. This bed lies 40 feet below coal No. 6 which is 5 feet 
7 inches thick. Coal No. 5 bears all of the characteristics of the same 
bed at Springfield. It averages 54 inches in thickness; is overlain by 
black shale, shaly limestone and gray shale in ascending order; and the 
coal itself has many clay veins. They vary in width from mere veinlets 
to several feet in size and consist of clays which have been forced 
downward into vertical fractures in the coal, as a result of unequal 
settling of the vegetal matter and its overburden. They will be dis¬ 
cussed in detail in the report on District IV. 

In dififerent parts of Shelby County, logs show the existence of a 
somewhat persistent coal from 25 to 80 feet below coal No. 6, which 
is no doubt coal No. 5. Its thickness at Moweaqua and in some of 
the holes in the southwestern part of the county indicate that this 
bed may become very important in future years, especially in the 
northern part which really joins the Springfield area. The south 
boundary line of present commercial coal No. 5 probably passes east 
and west through the northern part of Shelby County a few miles 
south of Moweaqua. Whether or not thick coal No. 5 underlies 
Moultrie County is unknown. It is recommended that future drilling, 
especially with the core drill be continued at least 80 feet below coal 
No. 6, unless coal No. 5 is penetrated at less depth. 

Other Coals 

Mention has already been made of the Shelby coal called coal No. 
15 by A. H. Worthen. It is now mined for local use to the extent of 
about 7500 tons yearly. It outcrops “on Copperas Creek and at sev¬ 
eral places above its mouth near Little Wabash River, at the water’s 
edge near Shelbyville and occasionally for 10 miles south, on Rich¬ 
land Creek and its tributaries, on Robinson’s Creek near the railroad, 


216 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


above on Mild Creek and Brush Creek below Prairie Bird, and on 
Beck’s Creek at the railroad.” The Shelby coal varies in thickness 
from about 18 inches to 3 feet but is reported in the mines to average 
2 feet. 

In the vicinity of Shelbyville this coal lies from 50 to 160 feet 
below the surface and is about 700 feet above the horizon of coal No. 
6 or from 100 to 120 feet above the limestone referred to the New 
Haven. 

The present writer prefers the name Shelbyville coal for this bed 
since its correlation as coal No. 15 implies the existence of a number 
of persistent coals capable of being identified over large areas; where¬ 
as most of the beds between coal No. 6 and the coal at Shelbyville are 
only a few inches thick and not positively identifiable from one hole 
to another. 

Seven holes in Shelby County have passed through the “Coal 
Measures”, and three of them report a coal 3 to 4 feet thick 225 to 
250 feet below coal No. 6, probably to be correlated with coal No. 2. 
From 60 to 100 feet lower two or three thinner beds are known oc¬ 
cupying the position of coal No. 1. The uppermost of these beds at 
Shelbyville lies 1068 feet below the surface and attains a thickness of 
2 feet 9 inches. Three other beds ranging in thickness from 1 foot 
2 inches to 1 foot 9 inches and separated from each other by thin 
shales exist in a 40-foot zone of which the 2 r foot 9-inch coal men¬ 
tioned above is the top. At the time these beds were being deposited 
coal-forming conditions were interrupted by irregular periods in which 
the surface was sufficiently low to permit mud deposits. This alter¬ 
nation did not occur simultaneously over the area, and the result was 
a number of thin beds here and there, only three or four represent¬ 
ing the same general period of coal deposition. 

From meager data at hand regarding the earliest coal beds in this 
region, it is useless to attempt to outline their areal distribution, but 
later need will no doubt develop commercial areas of coal No. 2. 
Formerly the Moweaqua shaft was sunk to a depth of 924 feet and 
one of the lower beds, corresponding probably to coal No. 2 was 
worked for a short time, but was abandoned in favor of coal No. 5, 
300 feet higher in the shaft. 

SANGAMON COUNTY 

Only the southern part of Sangamon County is treated in this 
report, the northern portion being included in District IV to be des¬ 
cribed in a later bulletin. 

A northeast-southwest line, passing about 2 miles north of Chat¬ 
ham and extending towards Mechanicsburg, marks the northern limit 


COUNTY REPORTS 


217 


of the area in which coal No. 6 is sufficiently thick to be commercial. 
North of this line the position of which is shown approximately on 
the large map, the “bine-band” coal averages only a few inches in 
thickness and mining is confined to coal No. 5 which ranges in thick¬ 
ness from 5 to 6 2 / t , feet in the area of the Tallula-Springfield quad¬ 
rangle. 9 


Production and Mines 

Total production 10 coal No. 6, 1881-1913.62,100,919 

During the year ended June 30, 1913, six mines in the southern 
part of the county produced 2,036,002 tons of coal No. 6 or 3.28 per 
cent of the State’s output. The average annual production of coal No. 
6 from this county for the five-year period, 1909 to 1913 inclusive, was 
1,624,984 tons. The following mines were operating coal No. 6 in 1913. 


Table 17 .—List of shipping mines producing coal No. 6 , Sangamon County, 1913 


Company 

6 

p 

5" 

W—H 

Mine 

Location 

Surf. elev. 

Depth to coal No. 6 

Alt. top coal No. 6 

Average thickness 

Production 1913 

;4 


6 

V 

c n 

£ 

R. W. 








Feet 

Feet 

Feet 

Ft. In. 

T o ns 

1 Chicago, Wil- 












mington 












and Vermilion 












Coal Co. 

1 

SW 

NW 

34 

13 

6 

648 

293 

355 

6 8 

551,787 

2 Illinois Mid- 












land Coal 












Co. 

5 

SW 

NE 

12 

13 

5 

628 

322 

306 

6 . . 

488,445 

3 Madison Coal 












Corporation 

6 

NE 

SW 

21 

13 

S 

614 

312 

302 

8 . . 

403,284 

4 Clack Dia- 












mond Coal 

Black 











Co. 

Diamond 


SW 

IS 

13 

6 

628 

301 

327 

7 . . 

368,907 

5 Auburn and 












Alton Coal 












Co. 




10 

13 

6 

628 

264 

364 

7 . . 

112,554 

Lefton Coal 












Co. 








261 


7 .. 

111,025 


9 Shaw, E. W., and Savage, T. E., U. S. Geol. Survey, Geol. Atlas, Tallula-Spring¬ 
field folio (No. 188), p. 11, 1913. 

10 Estimated. 




































218 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


Coal No. 6 

DISTRIBUTION AND THICKNESS 

Coal No. 6 in Sangamon County is best known in the southeast¬ 
ern part. It is mined extensively along the Chicago and Alton, Illi¬ 
nois Central, and Illinois Traction lines. East of the mines several 
holes have been drilled near the Christian County boundary. West of 
the Chicago and Alton R. R. only local mining has been carried on, 
and the position and character of the coal are not well known. 

The hole in the NE. Ct SW. M sec. 7, T. 13 N., R. 7 W., drilled 
for the Waverly Coal Mining and Prospecting Company is the only 
one available for study in the southwest corner of the county. At 
this place coal No. 6 lies 150 feet below the surface and is somewhat 
thinner than to the east in the principal mining area. Data are not 
sufficient to locate the line between thin and thick coal southwest of 
Chatham. 

Holes in the northeast parts of secs. 8 and 9, T. 13 N., R. 4 W. 
indicate that some irregular condition affects the coal locally since 
the bed is represented by only a small thickness in places; whereas 
other holes nearby show a regular thickness. It is not unlikely that 
where the coal is thin the drill has penetrated a roll in the roof simi¬ 
lar to others in the mines of the county described under the subject 
“Roof and Floor of Coal No. 6". The average thickness of coal No. 
6 in the mines where the bed is worked is 7 feet, and the drill holes 
in the southeast corner of the county are reported to have found an 
average of 8 feet for the same bed. No information is available for 
the area between Chatham and Mechanicsburg. In the shaft at the 
latter place coal No. 6 was mined formerly but its thickness was ex¬ 
tremely irregular and the bed was abandoned when a commercial 
thickness of coal No. 5 was found 27 feet lower. From a thickness 
of 6 feet at the shaft coal No. 6 thins to 2 inches in a distance of 800 
feet. The mine appears to be at the north line of workable coal No. 6. 

In common with other beds in this part of the State, the coal 
shows a gentle dip in a direction slightly south of east. In sec. 7, 
T. 13 N., R. 7 W., the coal lies at an altitude of 530 feet, while at 
the southeast corner of the county it is only 260 feet above sea level, 
showing a dip of 13 feet per mile. No important irregularities are 
known. 


PHYSICAL CHARACTER OF THE COAL 

At Divernon coal No. 6 ranges in thickness from 7 to 10 feet, the 
top bench averaging about 12 inches. Figure 44 shows the physical 
character of coal No. 6 in some of the Sangamon County mines. 


COUNTY REPORTS 


219 


The “blue band” is a little more than 2 feet above the floor. The 
following section was measured by K. D. White at the face of the 7th 
north off the west entry, Madison Coal Corporation, mine No. 6. The 
coal at this place is unusually soft and the cleavage planes are poorly 
developed. 


Section of coal AT. 6 , Madison Coal Corporation, mine No. 6, face north entry 

off main west 

Ft. In. 

Top coal, bright, texture woody, soft, blocky. 1 

Middle bench, breaks into small pieces on shooting. Num¬ 
erous charcoal, sulphur, and bone streaks. 4 9 

“Blue band”, carbonaceous shale. .. \ l / 2 

Bottom coal, bands of “jack” in lower part. 2 7 

8 sy 2 


LEGEND 



Fig. 44.—Graphic sections of coal No. 6 made from measurements in mines 
of Sangamon County. 

1. Chicago, Wilmington and Vermilion ( oal Co., 1 haver. Face 4th W., 
off southeast entry. 

2. Black Diamond Coal Co., Auburn. 7th N. off main west, 2500 feet from 
shaft. 

3. Madison Coal Corporation, No. 6, Divernon. Cross-cut on 5th. N.-W., 
375 feet north of 6th west. 






































220 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


At the Auburn mine of the Black Diamond Coal company the 
top coal is left in place where the roof consists of black shale. At 
this mine the coal is said to vary in thickness from 4^4 feet to 11 feet. 
The contact of the roof and the coal is irregular, due probably to the 
unevenness of the surface of the vegetal matter at the time the roof 
material was deposited. 

ROOF AND FLOOR OF COAL NO. 6 

The normal black shale-limestone roof of the Belleville district is 
typically developed in the mines of southern Sangamon County. The 
shale is extremely irregular in thickness being absent in some places 
and as much as 8 feet thick in others. Ordinarily where it is only a 
few inches thick it is necessary to leave the top coal in place in order 
to prevent the shale from falling. At Divernon 1 to 6 inches of clod 
underlies the black shale. A considerable area in the mine is affected 
by a depression in the coal which decreases the thickness of the bed 
to about one-half its normal amount. The depression extends north- 



Scale in feet 


0 1 2 3 4 5 

Fig. 45.— Roll, Madison Coal Corporation, mine No. 6, Divernon. (4th 
west, 7th north, west entry.) 


east-southwest and has been traced about 900 feet. At the time of 
examination it was typically exposed in room 2, 4th west entry, 7th 
north, on the west side of the mine. In the depression, clod and lime¬ 
stone form the roof, the latter material being nodular, clayey, and full 
of concretions that fall easily and render the roof unsafe. In the 
area thus affected the coal is noticeably impure. Figure 45 shows a 
sandstone lens in the roof limestone and a roll cutting the coal down 
to a thickness of only 1 foot. The sandstone may occupy its present 


























































































































































COUNTY REPORTS 


221 


position as the result of filling an erosion cavity or a cavity formed 
by solution of the limestone by acid waters as is often the case. 

It is apparent that some erosion affected the black shale after de¬ 
position. In the Black Diamond mine very irregular contacts are 
noted between the cap rock and the shale as shown in figure 46. 



Scale in feet 


0 12 3 4 

Fig. 46. —Irregular contact between cap rock and shale, Black Diamond 
Coal Co., Auburn. 

The normal limestone roof is a dark gray, noncrystalline rock 
having well-developed cleavage planes. In this condition it is strong 
and forms an excellent roof. However, in places it is nodular, con¬ 
tains clay and niggerheads, and falls easily. At the face of the main 
south entry on the east side of this mine, limestone-shale and shale- 
coal contacts are very irregular. At this place the coal shows many 
small ‘‘slip” planes and is impure. See figure 47. 

At the Thayer mine of the Chicago, Wilmington and Vermilion 
Coal Company, the normal roof is present except in one or two places 
where the black shale is only 6 inches thick and is overlain by 3 or 4 
feet of light gray or yellow, sandy shale. From 4 to 8 inches of top 
coal is left ordinarily but is generally taken down after the rooms are 
mined out. 

At the Victor mine of the Illinois Midland Coal Company a roll 
100 feet wide intersects the workings in the shape of a horseshoe, the 
toe of the shoe pointing toward the shaft from the south. At its 
widest part it measures approximately 2000 feet. Where the roll is 
effective, the coal is only 4 feet thick. 

As a rule the floor clay in the county is thin. At Divernon the 
upper 6 feet is a white clay which grades downward into a harder, 
greenish-blue shale. The clay slacks on exposure and heaves readily. 





































































































































222 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


A layer of bowlders lies 5 feet below the floor. At the Black Dia¬ 
mond mine the clay averages 2J4 feet in thickness. It slacks in the 

air and heaves readily when wet. 

> 

Other Coals 

In the area underlain by coal No. 6 in Sangamon County very 
little drilling has been done to determine the position of and character 
of the lower coals. Through the kindness of Mr. A. J. Moorshead, 
General Manager, Madison Coal Corporation, the Survey has been 
able to examine the log of the company’s shaft No. 6 at Divernon. 



-— — - Black - Shale — -— 



Scale in feet 


0 1 2 3 4 5 

Fig. 47. —Irregular contact between limestone, shale, and coal, Black Dia¬ 
mond Coal Co., Auburn. (Face main south, east side.) 

This shaft was sunk to a depth of 604 feet or 274 feet below the 
“blue-band” coal. In this distance 7 coals ranging in thickness from 
1 foot to 4*4 feet were penetrated. Coal No. 5, 46 feet below coal 
No. 6, is 2 feet 11 inches thick, half of its thickness in the vicinity of 
Springfield. A 2-foot 2-inch bed was found 61 feet below coal No. 5. 
At intervals of 30, 60, and 82 feet below the last bed mentioned are 
coals having the respective thicknesses of 13, 14, and 20 inches. A 4- 
foot 5-inch bed which probably represents the Murphysboro (No. 2) 
coal was penetrated 235 feet below coal No. 6. 

The beds regarded as most favorable for future operations are 
coals No. 2 and No. 5. The former is doubtless developed over most 
of the county, and its thickness wherever it has been found in Dis¬ 
trict VII is sufficient to strengthen the belief that it will be economic¬ 
ally important at some future time. 

In the northern part of Christian County coals No. 5 and No. 6 
are of about the same thickness, and in many places it is almost im¬ 
possible to distinguish one from the other in drill-hole logs. It is 



























































































COUNTY REPORTS 


2 23 


believed that the same conditions will be found in Sangamon County 
when deeper drilling is carried on in Tps. 14 and 15 N., especially in 
the eastern side of the county. At this time it is impossible to out¬ 
line the workable area of coal No. 5 with any degree of accuracy. In 
the townships mentioned, however, it is almost certain that coal No. 5 
will be developed to a much greater degree than at persent. 

The thin coals mentioned cannot be correlated at present. Lo¬ 
cally one or another of them may be developed to workable thickness, 
but it is regarded doubtful that they will ever be extensively operated. 

SUMMARY OF COAL RESOURCES 

In the following summary of coal resources, attention has been 
confined to coal No. 6 because most of the information available re¬ 
lates to this bed. Furthermore, comparatively little is known regard¬ 
ing the lower coals in District VII, and estimates regarding them 
would necessarily be extremely unreliable. 

In the calculations represented in the figures a tracing of the 
map, Plate I, was used. All of the information regarding the coal 
was placed by the side of the symbols representing drill holes and 
mines, and it was then possible to outline areas underlain by coal No. 6 
and to determine its average thickness in a given area. Areal meas¬ 
urements were made with the planimeter, and computations were 
based on an average specific gravity of 1.3, or an average of 1770 
tons of coal per foot per acre. Figures on coal production were taken 
from the reports of the Bureau of Labor Statistics and those of the 
Mining Board. 


Table 18. —Summary of coal resources (coal A r o. 6) in District VII. 


224 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


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Table 18. — Continued 


COUNTY REPORTS 


225 


1 

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8 -B-ll 


St. Clair 436 6 9 3 333,830,400 77,532,658 63,435,811 140,968,469 3,192,861,931 






































226 


COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 


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2 3 ON 

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INDEX 


A 

PAGE 

Addieville, structure near. 39 

Alton, outcrops near.159 

Ameling, hole No. 1, log of. 47 

hole No. 3, log of. 49 

Ashley, absence of coal No. 6 at. ..188 

log of shaft at.182-183 

Assumption, coal No. 6 at.212 

Assumption Coal Mining Co., log 
of shaft of.74-77 

Aviston, coal No. 6 at.60, 109 

faulting at . 58 

Ayers, anticline at.36, 47, 48 

B 

Baldwin, thin coal at.200 

structure at . 39 

Bartelso, altitude of coal near. 58 

Bartelso dome, description of.38 

Beckemeyer, cap rock at. 51 

Carlyle anticline near. 37 

coal No. 6 at.33, 37, 59, 62, 64 

Belleville, elevations in vicinity of.. 31 

Belleville anticline in Madison 

County .109 

in St. Clair County.162 

Belleville coal, correlation of. 20 

Benld, coal No. 6 at. 97 


“Big lime” in Montgomery County. 141 
“Blue-band” coal, correlation of.... 21 
see coal No. 6 

Bond County, Ayers anticline in... 36 

coal No. 6 in.48, 60, 224 

coal No. 7 in. 24 

elevations in . 32 

geology of .42-50 


McLeansboro formation in. 19 

mines in . 42 

production for . 42 

Sorento dome in . 36 

Bond County Gas Company well, 
log of . 44 

Breese, elevations in vicinity of.... 31 

Shoal Creek limestone at. 26 

Bunker Hill, coal No. 6 at. 95 

Buxton mine, cap rock in. 51 

Bvrd and Taylor hole No. 8, log 

of . 72-74 

well near Taylorville, log of...69-71 


C 


PAGE 

Cantine, thin coal at.105, 112 

Carbondale, Carbondale formation 
at . 20 

Carbondale formation, description 
of .18, 19-23 

Carlinville absence of coal No. 6 at 148 

Carlinville limestone near. 25 

gas at. 43 

limestone near. 89 

oil at. 43 

Pottsville formation near. 19 

Carlinville dome, description of 36, 94 

Carlinville limestone, at, in, or near: 

Fayette County. 84 

Gillespie . 26 

Macoupin County. 89 

Madison County.105 

Marion County.116 

Montgomery County .140, 141 

Mount Olive . 26 

Moultrie County .205 

Shelby County .205 

Washington County .186 

correlation of .23, 25, 26 

description of . 25 

position of . 18 

Carlyle, anticline near. 37 

“Coal Measures” near. 17 

coal No. 6 near.37, 38 

elevations in vicinity of. 31 

McLeansboro formation at. 19 

oil sands at . 56 

Pottsville formation at. 55 

Carlyle anticline, description of.... 


Carlyle oil sands.141, 159 

Carthage limestone, correlation of 
.. 18, 25, 27, 28 

Caseyville, coal No. 6 at.104 

Centerville, outcrops near.159 

Central City, coal No. 6 at.131 

Central Coal Co., log of shaft No. 

2 . 116-119 

log of shaft No. 5.183-184 

Centralia, coal No. 6 at.33, 133 

Duquoin anticline near.130 

fault at.136 

structure of coal No. 6 at. 30 

Chatham, coal No. 6 at.78, 218 

Chester beds, at, in or near: 

Bond County . 44 


227 




















































































228 


INDEX —Continued 


PAGE 


PAGE 


Clinton County. 56 

Highland well .108 

Montgomery County .141 

Moultrie County .206 

Randolph County .173, 175 

St. Clair County.161 

Shelby County.206 

oil sands in .141, 159 

Chesterfield, thickness of coal No. 

6 at. 95 

Christian Countv, coals No. 1 and 

No. 2 in .. 81 

coal No. 6 in . .24, 48, 77-80, 109, 224 

coal No. 7 in. 83 

elevations in . 32 

geology of .67-83 

Hillsboro flat in . 35 

log of well in . 21 

mines in . 66 

Pottsville coal in . 19 

production for . 65 


Clinton Countv, “Coal Measures” 

in ..'. 17 

coal No. 6 in. 

.. .37, 51, 59-64, 109, 188, 189. 224 


elevations in .32, 33 

geology of.51-65 

McLeansboro in . 19 

mines in . 51 

production for . 50 

“Coal Measures,” see Pennsylvan¬ 
ian series 

Coal No. 1, correlation of... 19, 20, 21 

in Christian County. 81 

in Shelby County.216 

Coal No. 2, correlation of.19, 21 

distribution of. 21 

in Christian County. 81 

in Clinton County. 65 

in Gallatin County. 20 

in Montgomery County.153-154 

in Moultrie County.205, 211 

in Sangamon County.222 

in Shelby County.205, 211, 216 

Coal No. 5, at, in, or near: 

Bond County. 50 

Christian County . 81 

Clinton County. 65 

Macoupin County .101 

Marion County.138 

Marissa .168 

Moultrie County .205, 215 

Moweaqua .204, 215 

Odin .138 

Randolph County .200 

St. Clair County.168 

Sandoval .138 

Sangamon County.222 

Shelby County.205, 215 

Springfield . 21 

Washington County .201 


correlation of 


20 


Coal No. 6, at, in, or near: 

Assumption .212 

Bond County .47, 48-50, 224 

Chatham .218 

Christian County .224 

Clinton County..51, 59-64, 188, 224 

Divernon .218 

Dubois .194 

Duquoin .189 

Fayette County... .87-88, 212, 225 

Hillsboro .36, 153 

Jefferson County .188 

Kinmundy .135 

Lovington .211, 213, 215 

Macoupin County. .95-101, 148, 224 

Madison County .109-112, 225 

Marion County.131-137, 225 

Marissa .161 

Mechanicsburg .218 

Millstadt .161 

Montgomery County . 

.140, 142, 147-155, 225 

Moultrie County. .205, 211, 212-215 

Moweaqua .211 

Nashville .193-194, 196 

Odin . 130, 135 

Pana .211 

Panama .150, 151, 153 

Perry County.176, 188-189, 225 

Pinckneyville .195 

Pocahontas . 37 

Randolph County.. 174, 188-199, 225 

St. Clair County.163-169, 225 

Salem .130 

Sangamon County . .. .218-223, 226 

Shelbv Countv . 

...'. .205, 211, 212-215, 226 

Shelbyville .211, 214 

Sorento dome . 36 

Sparta .196 

Springfield . 21 

Tower Hill .212, 213, 214 

Washington County . 

..181-182, 186, 188-199, 226 

Willisville.195 

cap rock of . 24 

chemical value of.40-41 

correlation of.19, 21 

outcrop of .23, 33 

structure of, in District VII..30, 33 


Coal No. 7 at, in, or near: 


Christian County . 83 

Clinton County. 51 

Franklin County . 21 

Madison County .161 

Marion County .137 

Montgomery County.140, 153 

Moultrie County .211 

Perry County .177 

Randolph County.173 

St. Clair County.161 














































































































INDEX —Continued 


229 


PAGE 

Shelby County .211 

Springfield quadrangle . 24 

Washington County .200 

Williamson County . 21 

correlation of .20, 21, 23 

description of . 24 

Coal No. 8, correlation of. 23 

description of .24-25 

in Clinton County . 51 

in Marion County .138 

in Montgomery County .140 

in Washington County.200 

Coal No. 9, in Montgomery Coun¬ 
ty ..140, 141 

in Washington County.200 

Coal No. 11 at Madisonville, Ken- 
tuck}- . 25 

Coals No. 14 and No. 15 in Shel¬ 
by County .204, 205, 215-216 

Colchester coal, correlation of.... 21 

Collinsville, coal No. 6 at.110, 111 

Conemaugh formation, correlation 
of, with McLeansboro forma¬ 
tion . 23 

Consolidated Coal Co., log of well 
of.161-162 

Coulterville citv w-ell No. 1, log 
of . 175-176 

D 

Danville, chemical value of coal at 41 


Danville coal, correlation of.20, 21 

Darmstadt anticline, description of 
. 39, 162 

Davis No. 7 hole, log of.93-94 

Denny, “Coal Measures” at. 17 

Dews well, log of.91-92 

Divernon, coal No. 6 at. .218, 220, 221 

Drill records, collection and use 
of.30, 32 

Dubois, coal No. 6 at.194 

production at .172 

Dunkel, absence of coal No. 6 at... 78 

Dunn No. 1 well, log of. 53 

Duquoin, coal No. 6 at.189, 197 

Duquoin anticline, chemical value 

of coal west of. 41 

coal in. .133, 176, 187, 190, 191, 192, 194 

description of . 33 

gas in. 130 

in Marion County.130 

in Perry County.131 

oil in .130, 137 

trend of .186 


E 

PAGE 

East St. Louis, elevations in vicin¬ 


ity of . 31 

Edinburg, coals No. 5 and No. 6 
at .77, 81 

Edwardsville, coal No. 6 at.110 

F 

Farina, coal No. 6 at.87, 131 

Fayette County, coals in. .87-88, 212, 225 

elevations in . 32 

geology of .83-88 

New Haven limestone in. 26 

thickness of McLeansboro forma¬ 
tion in. 19 

production for . 83 

structure in . 36 

Finke well, log of .185 

Franklin County, chemical value of 

coal in . 41 

coal No. 6 in . 21 

Fusulina, association of, wdth coal 
No. 6 . 63 

G 

Galum Creek well, log of.201-203 

Gallagher well No. 1, log of.... 178-181 

Gallatin County, coal No. 2 in. 20 

limestone horizon in. 18 

McLeansboro formation in. 19 

Gas at Carlinville .36, 43 

in “Coal Measures”. 43 

in Duquoin anticline.130 

near Litchfield.141 

structure for accumulation of.... 33 

Germantown well, log of.52-53 

Gibson well, log of.185 

Gillespie, limestones near. 26 

Grape Creek coal, chemical value of 41 
correlation of . 21 

Greenville, “Coal Measures” at. 43 

coal No. 6 near. 48 

synclinal structure near. 36 

Griffell well . 95 

Guthrie No. 1 well, log of.121-128 

H 

Haake well, log of.92-93 

Hall wells No. 3 and No. 5, coal 
No. 6 in . 95 

Hamilton County, drilling in. 23 

structure in . 33 

Harrisburg coal, correlation of.20 

















































































230 


INDEX —Continued 


PAGE 


M 


Helvetia Milk Condensing Co. drill 
hole, log of.107 

Herrin coal, correlation of. 20 

Highland, absence of coal No. 6 

at .60, 109 

coal No. 2 at.112 

log of well at .107 

Hillsboro, coal No. 6 at.153 

structure at . 35 

Hillsboro flat, description of. 35 

in Montgomery County.146 

Hirsh well No. 5, log of.142-144 

Hoffman, altitude of coal at. 58 

Hoffman dome, description of. 38 

Huey, depth of coal No. 6 at. 37 




I 


Irishtown anticline, description of. . 38 

in Bond County. 47 

in Clinton County. 57 

Irvington, absence of coals No. 2 
and No. 6 at.188, 189 


J 

Jackson County, Carbondale forma¬ 


tion in. 20 

McLeansboro formation in. 19 

Jefferson County, coal No. 6 in.188 

elevations in . 32 

structure in .186-187 


Johnson County, “Coal Measures” 
in . 17 

K 

Kincaid, coal No. 6 at. 77 

Kinmundy, coal No. 6 at. 

.87, 131, 133, 135 

log of shaft at.128-129 


L 


La Salle, chemical value of coal at 41 
“third-vein” coal at. 21 

Lebanon, coal No. 6 at.165 


Litchfield . 

Hillsboro flat near. 35 

minor coal at.154 

oil and gas at.43, 141 

Lively Grove, structure near. 39 

Livingston, coal No. 6 at.Ill, 112 

Lovington, coal No. 6 at..211, 213, 215 

drill hole at.211 

structure at . 33 


Lumaghi Coal Company hole, log of 46 




PAGE 

McClure wells, absence of coal in.. 95 

McLeansboro, drilling at. 23 

McLeansboro formation, descrip¬ 
tion of .18, 23-29 

McNichols bore hole, log of. 28 

Macoupin County, absence of cap 

rock in. 24 

Carlinville limestone in. 25 

coal No. 6 in.95-101, 148, 224 

gas in. 36 

geology of .89-101 

mines in.89, 90 

production for . 89 

structure in .36, 37 

Madison County, coal No. 6 in.... 


coal No. 7 in.161 

geology of.104-114 

mines in .101-104 

production for .101 

Madisonville, Ky., coal No. 11 at.. 25 

Marion County, coal No. 5 in.138 

coal No. 6 in.30, 33, 225, 131-137 

coals No. 7 and No. 8 in.137, 138 

Duquoin anticline in. 33 

geology of .115-138 

mines in.115 

minor coals in.137-138 

oil in ..136-137 

production for .115 

Marissa, coal No. 5 at.168 

coal No. 6 at.161 

log of hole at.161-162 

structure near. 39 

Mascoutah, coal No. 6 at.160 

Mechanicsburg, coals No. 5 and No. 

6 at .81, 218 

Mercer County, chemical value of 
coal in. 41 


Midvalley Oil Co. well, record of 


.. 178-181 

Millstadt, outcrops near.. 159, 161, 163 

Monroe County, absence of coal¬ 
bearing rocks in. 17 

Montgomery Countv, coal No. 2 in 

. 153-154 

coal No. 6 in. .48, 60, 109, 147-155, 225 


coals No. 8 and 9 in.140, 141 

elevations in . 32 

geology of ..139-155 

McLeansboro in . 19 

mines in .139 

minor coals in.153 

New Haven limestone in. 26 

oil in .140, 146 

production for.138-139 





















































































INDEX —Continued 


231 


PAGE 

structure in . 36 

Moultrie County, coals in. 

..'.205, 211, 212-215 

mines in .205 

New Haven limestone in. 26 

production for .204 

structure in . 33 

Mount Olive, coal No. 6 at....98, 101 
limestones, near. 26 

Moweaqua, coal No. 5 at.204, 215 

coal No. 6 at.211, 212 

Murphysboro, chemical value of 
coal at . 41 

Murphysboro coal, correlation of.. 21 
see coal No. 2 


N 

Nashville, Carlinville limestone at.. 186 


coal No. 6 at.193-194, 196 

production at .172 

Nashville anticline, description of.. 39 

New Athens, elevations in vicinitv 
of . 31 

New Baden, faulting at. 58 

New Haven limestone, correlation 

of . 23 

description of.26-29 

in Christian County. 67 

in Fayette County. 84 

in Montgomery County.141 

in Moultrie County .205 

in Shelby County.205 

New Memphis, structure near. 39 

New Staunton Coal Co. drill hole, 
log of.106-107 

Nokomis, coal No. 6 at.151 


O 

Oakdale, structure near. 39 

Odin, coal No. 5 at.138 

coal No. 6 at.130, 135, 136 

log of shaft No. 1.119-121 

O’Fallon anticline, description of.. 40 
in St. Clair County.162 

Ohio Oil Co., log of well of... 121-128 

Ohlman anticline, description of.... 35 
in Montgomery County.146 

Oil at Carlinville. 43 

at Carlyle .159 

in Chester beds.159 

in “Coal Measures”. 43 

in Duquoin anticline.130. 137 

in Marion County.136-137 

in Montgomery County.140, 146 

near Litchfield..141 


PAGE 

structure favorable for accumu¬ 


lation of . 33 

Okawville, depth of coal near. 39 

elevations in vicinity of. 31 

Old Ripley, elevations of coal No. 

6 at. 48 

Olney, structure at . 33 


P 


Palmer, absence of coal 

No. 6 

at.. . 

78 

Mississippian beds at. 



69 

Pana, coal No. 6 at. .. . 


• 77, 

211 

Panama, coal No. 6 at.. 

..150, 

151, 

153 

Peabody holes, logs of. 

.. .85-87, 93-94 

Pennsylvanian series, at, 

in, or 

near 


Carlyle . 



17 

Clinton County . ... 



17 

Denny . 



17 

Tohnson County .. . 



17 

Perry County . 



17 

St. Louis . 



17 

description of. 


...17-29 


Peoria, chemical value of coal at.. 41 
Perry County, “Coal Measures” in.. 17 

Perry County, coal No. 6 in. 

.176, 188-199, 225 


coal No. 7 in .177 

Duquoin anticline in.33, 131 

geology of .173-204 

mines in .171 

minor coals in .203 

production for .169 

Pinckneyville, coal No. 6 at.195 

Pocahontas, depth of coal at. 37 

anticline at. 37 

Postel Milling Co. well No. 1, log 
of . 159-160 

Pottsville formation at Carlyle. 55 

description of.18-19 

gas in .36, 37 

in Randolph County.175 

Production . 13 


see also individual counties 

R 

Randolph County, absence of coal¬ 
bearing rocks in. 17 

coal No. 5 in.200 

coal No. 6 in.174, 188-199, 225 

coal No. 7 in.173 

geology of.173-204 

mines in .172 

production for .169 

Richland County, structure in. 33 

Rock Island coal, correlation of... 20 

Rock Island County, chemical value 
of coal in .'. 41 




























































































232 


INDEX —Continued 


S 

PAGE 


St. Clair County, coal No. 5 in.168 

coal No. 6 in.163-169, 225 

coal No. 7 in.24, 161 

geology of .159-169 

McLeansboro formation near.... 19 

mines of . 156-158 

minor coals in.168-169 

production for .155 

St. Louis, “Coal Measures” near... 17 


St. Louis limestone in Montgom¬ 


ery County.142 

Salem, coal No. 6 at.131, 133 

structure at . 130 

Saline County, chemical value of 
coal in . 41 

Samples of drillings, collection of 15, 56 

Sandoval, coal No. 5 at.138 

Duquoin anticline at .33, 130 

oil sands of .141 


Sangamon County, formations in 

..... 19, 20 

coal No. 2 in.222 

coal No. 5 in.222 

coal No. 6 in.218-223, 226 

mines in .217 

production for.217 

Shales, red, positions of. 24 

Sharps, coal No. 5 at. 81 

Shelby County, coal No. 1 in.216 

coal No. 2 in.205, 211, 216 

coal No. 5 in .205, 215 

coal No. 6 in.. .205, 211, 212-215, 226 

coal No. 7 in.211 

coal No. 14 in.205 

coal No. 15 in .204 

geology of.205-216 

mines in .205 

New Haven limestone in. 26 

production for .204 


“Shelby coal” in Shelby County.. .204 


Shoup well, coal No. 5 in.201 

Shelbyville, coal No. 6 at.211-214 

coal No. 15 at.215-216 

log of well at.208-211 

thin coal at .204 

Shiloh, coal No. 6 at.166, 167 

Sherman No. 1 well, log of.52-53 

Shoal Creek limestone, at, in, or 
near: 

Clinton County. 51 

Moultrie County .205 

Mount Olive . 26 

Shelby County .205 

Washington County .200 

correlation of . 23 

description of .25-26 

position of . 18 




PAGE 

Singer well, log of.144-146 

Siva Oil Company well, log of..... 56 

Sinithboro, synclinal structure near 36 

Sorento dome, description of. 36 

in Bond County. 47 

in Montgomery County.146 

Sparta, coal No. 6 at.196 

log of well No. 2 at.174-175 

structure near . 39 


Springfield, Carbondale formation 


at . 20 

chemical value of coal at. 41 

coals No. 5 and No. 6 near. 21 

coal No. 7 near. 24 

Springfield coal, correlation of.20 

Staunton dome, description of. 37 

in Macoupin County . 94 

Structure, definition of . 29 

Structure of District VII.33-40 

Structure contours, explanation 

of.30-33 

Stubblefield anticline in Bond Coun¬ 
ty . 47 


T 

Taylorville, coal No. 6 at.... 19, 77, 79 
log of well near.21, 69-71 

“Third-vein” coal, correlation of... 21 
Tower Hill, coal No. 6 at. .212, 213, 214 
Trenton Coal Company well No. 1, 
log of.54-55 


U 

Uniontown, Ky., limestone at. 28 


V 


Vandalia, coal No. 6 at. 87 

Venedv dome, description of...39, 162 

log of .206-207 

Virden, coal No. 6 at.97, 100 


W 


Washington County, Carlinville 

limestone in. 

coal No. 5 in. 

coal No. 6 in. 


186 

201 


.181-182, 186, 188-199, 226 

coals No. 7, No. 8, and No. 9 in 200 


geology of .173-204 

mines in .173 

production for .169 

Shoal Creek limestone in.200 

Wayne County, structure in. 33 

























































































INDEX —Continued 


PAGE 


White County, structure in. 33 

White Oak anticline, description of 39 
in St. Clair County.163 

Williamson County, chemical value 
of coal in . 41 


233 


PAGE 

coal No. 6 in. 21 

Willisville, coal No. 6 at.188, 195 

Witt, coal No. 6 at.151 

Worthen, A. H., section in Ran¬ 
dolph County by.174 




















• _ r 
























































































































. 
























































T.7N. T.8N. T.9N. T.10N. 


ILLINOIS COAL MINING INVESTIGATIONS 

COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT 


BULLETIN 11 PLATE I 


R.7 W. 


R.6 W. 


R.5W. 


R.4 W 


R.3 W 


R.2 W. 


R.1 W. 


R.1 E. 


R.2 E. 


R.3 E. 


R.4 E. 


R.8 W. 


R.5 E. R.6 E. 

MojuLfrnjiE j £4 


T~-T- 


T.15 N. 


T.14N. 


T.13N. 


T.12 N. 



Contour Line—Drawn Through 
All Points on Coal No. 6 
Having the Altitude Indi¬ 
cated by the Figures. 

Approximate Boundary 
, of Thin Coal No. 6. 
(Subject to Revision) 

Arrows show Direction of Dip. 

Surface Elevation— For Towns 
As indicated. 

. Location of Town. 

« County Seat. 

• — Railroad 

Electric Line. 

-County Boundary. 

-Township Boundary 


6 

5 

4 

3 

2 

T 1 

Ll 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

l!l 

17 

16 

15 

14 

13 

k 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

30 

29 

28 

27 

26 

25 

I 31 

32 

33 

34 

35 

36 


TOWNSHIP PLAT 

To find approximate depth of coal 
at a sliven place, ase nearest surface 
elevation. From this, subtract the 
number on the nearest contour, unless 
the latter has (-) before it, in which 
case, add the two numbers. 

For places mid way behreen 
contour lines, proportion the difference. 


R.7 W 


R.6 W. 


R.5 W. 


R.4 W. 


R.3 W. 


R.2 W. 


R.1 W. 


T.8 N. T.7 N. JA JL 



























































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































list of shipping mines IN DISTRICT 7. 


MAP NO. 


MINE NO. OR NAME. 


MAP NO. 


MINE NO. OR NAME. 


BOND COUNTY. 

1. Pocahontas Mining Co. 1 

2. Northern Coal & Supply Co. 

CHRISTIAN COUNTY. 


1. Christian County Coal Co. 

2. Springfield Coal Mining Co. 6 

3. Stonington Coal Co. 

4. Penwell Coal Co. , 1 

5. Pana Coal Co. 1 

6. Smith Lohr Coal Mining Co. 

7. Illinois Midland Coal Co. 7 

8. Assumption Coal & Alining Co. 

9. Pana Coal Co. 2 

C. W. Vanderver. Greenwood 


CLINTON COUNTY. 

1. Southern Coal, Coke & Alining Co. 

2. Breese Trenton Mining Co. 

3. North Breese Coal Mining Co. 

4. Consolidated Coal Co. 

5. Breese Trenton Mining Co. 

MACOUPIN COUNTY. 

1. Superior Coal Co. 

2. Superior Coal Co. 

3. Superior Coal Co. 

4. Consolidated Coal Co. 

5. Consolidated Coal Co. 

6. Royal Colliery Co. 

7. Girard Colliery Co. 

8. Madison Coal Corporation. 

9. Glenridge Coal Co. 

10. Vivian Collieries Co. 

11. Consolidated Coal Co. 

12. Carlinville Coal Co. 

MADISON COUNTY. 

1. New Staunton Coal Co. 

2. Alt. Olive & Staunton Coal Co. 

3. Lumaghi Coal Co. 

4. Donk Bros. Coal & Coke Co. 

5. Donk Bros. Coal & Coke Co. 

6. Aladison Coal Corporation. 

7. De Camp Coal Mining Co. 

8 . Donk Bros. Coal & Coke Co. 

9. Kerns-Donnewald Coal Co. 

10. Aladison Coal Corporation. 

11. Alt. Olive & Staunton Coal Co. 

12. Lumaghi Coal Co. 

W. S. Walker. 

City Coal Co. 

Brookside Coal Co. 

MARION COUNTY. 

1. Marion County Coal Co. 

2. Chicago Sandoval Coal Co. 

3. Odin Coal Co. 

4. Centralia Coal Co. 

5. Centralia Coal Co. 

6. Chicago Sandoval Coal Co. 

MONTGOMERY COUNTY. 


1. Peabody Coal Co. 14 

2. Shoal Creek Coal Co. 1 

3. Peabody Coal Co. 15 

4. Hillsboro Coal Co. Hillsboro 

5. Peabody Coal Co. 12 

6. Peabody Coal Co. 11 

7. Clover Leaf Coal Co. 2 

8. Farmersville Coal Alining Co. 1 

9. Litchfield Collieries Co. 7 

10. Peabody Coal Co. 10 

11. Nokomis Coal Co. 

MOULTRIE COUNTY. 

1. Lovington Coal Mining Co. 1 

PERRY COUNTY. 

1. Security Coal Mining Co. 1 

2. Willis Coal Alining Co. 1 

3. Paradise Coal Co. Paradise 

4. Majestic Coal & Coke Co. 1 

5. Ritchey Coal Co. 1 

6. Duquoin Operating Co. Queen 

7. Missouri & Illinois Coal Co. 4 

8. St. Louis-Coulterville Coal Co. Vulcan 

9. Bald Eagle Mining Co. 

10. Wilson Coal Co. 

11. King City Coal & Mining Co. 

12. Little Muddy Fuel Co. 

13. Bailey Bros. Coal Co. Diamond 

14. Brilliant Coal & Coke Co. Horn 

15. Greenwood-Davis Coal Co. 2 

16. Bailey Bros. Coal Co. Sun 

17. Strait Coal Co. 

Dynamic Coal Mining Co. 3 


9 

East 

North 

West 

Buxton 


3 

2 

1 

14 

15 
1 
5 
5 
1 

8 


1 

2 

2 

2 

1 

2 

1 

3 

W orden 

4 
1 
3 

Henrietta 

Edwardsville 

Troy 


2 

Odin 

2 

4 

1 


1. 

2 . 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6 . 

7. 

8 . 

9. 

10 . 


1. 

2 . 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6 . 

7. 

8 . 

9. 

10 . 
11 . 
12. 

13. 

14. 

15. 

16. 
17. 

19. 

20 . 
21 . 
22 . 

23. 

24. 

25. 

26. 

27. 

28. 

29. 

30. 

31. 

33. 

34. 

36. 

38. 

39. 

40. 

41. 

42. 

43. 

44. 

45. 

47. 

48. 

49. 

50. 


1. 

2 . 

3. 

4. 

5. 


1. 

2 . 

1. 

3. 


RANDOLPH COUNTY. 


Willis Coal & Alining Co. Goalby No 6 

Jones Bros. Coal Mining Co. Eureka No. 2 

Wilson Bros. Coal Co. 7 

Illinois Fuel Co. 4 

Aloffatt Coal Co. 1 

Bessemer Coal & Alining Co. Crystal 

Bessemer Coal & Alining Co. Tilden 

Underwood Coal & Mining Co. 

Randolph County Coal Co. O. M. 

Boyd Coal & Coke Co. 1 


ST. CLAIR COUNTY. 

St. Louis & O’Fallon Coal Co. 
Consolidated Coal Co. 

Prairie Coal Co. 

Southern Coal Coke & Mining Co. 
Southern Coal Coke & Alining Co. 
Jos. Taylor Coal Co. 

St. Louis & O’Fallon Coal Co. 
Superior Coal Mining Co. 

Kolb Coal Co. 

Suburban Coal & Alining Co. 

Kolb Coal Co. 

Kolb Coal Co. 

Breese Trenton Mining Co. 

Alulberry Hill Coal Co. 

Star Coal Co. 

Jos. Taylor Coal Co. 

Jones Bros. Coal Co. 

Eldnar Coal Co. 

Borders Coal Co. 

Summit Coal Mining Co. 

Jos. Taylor Coal Co. 

Johnson Coal Co. 

White Coal Co. 

Pittsburg Mining Co. 

Oakdale Coal Mine Co. 

Fullerton Coal Co. 

Groome Coal Co. 

Gauch Coal & Alining Co. 

Missouri & Illinois Coal Co. 

Alaule Coal Co. 

International Coal & Mining Co. 

L. Senior. 

Highland Coal Co. 

New National Coal Co. 

Southern Coal, Coke & Mining Co. 
Tirrie Coal Co. 

Kolb Coal Co. 

Cluley Miller Coal Co. 

St. Clair Coal Co. 

Vulcan Coal & Mining Co. 

Golden Rule Coal Co. 

Egyptian Coal & Mining Co. 

Fischer Coal Co. 

Silver Creek Valley Coal Co. 
Alulberry Hill Coal Co. 

Reeb Bros. Coal Co. 

Alissouri & Illinois Coal Co. 
Southern Coal, Coke & Mining Co. 
Egyptian Coal & Mining Co. 

Kolb Coal Co. 

SANGAMON COUNTY. 
Mines Operating Coal No. 6. 


1 

5 

6 

Black Diamond 


1 

1 


5 

Nashville 

Dubois 


Chicago, Wilmington & Vermilion Coal Co. 
Illinois Midland Coal Co. 

Aladison Coal Corporation. 

Black Diamond Coal Co. 

Auburn & Alton Coal Co. 

Lefton Coal Co. 

SHELBY COUNTY. 

Tower Hill Coal Co. 

Moweaqua Coal Mining and Manufacturing Co. 

WASHINGTON COUNTY. 

Centralia Coal Co. 

Nicholson Coal Co. 

Kuhn Coal Co. 


17 

8 

7 

St. Ellen 

1 

2 

i 

Fairbank 

i 

Star 
Taylor 
Eureka No. 1 

"l 

Summit 
Ridge Prairie 
O. K. 

Aliller 

Glendale 

Fullerton 

Richland 

Enterprise 

Rentchler 

Harmony 

Carbon 


National 
Avery No. 1 

Valley 
Ruby 
St. Clair 
Hippard 

Aleek No. 2 

2 

Murphy 

Wilderman 

5 

Advance 
Vinegar Hill 














I 


PUBLICATIONS OF THE ILLINOIS COAL MINING 

INVESTIGATIONS 


Bulletin 1. 
Bulletin 2. 
Bulletin 3. 
Bulletin 4. 

Bulletin 5. 
Bulletip 6. 
Bulletin 7 . 
Bulletin 8. 

Bulletin 9. 

Bulletin 10. 

Bulletin 11. 
Bulletin 83. 


Preliminary Report on Organization and Method 
of Investigations, 1913. 

Coal Mining Practice in District VIII (Danville), 
by S. O. Andros, 1914. 

A Chemical /Study of Illinois Coals, by Prof. S. W. 
Parr, 1914. 

Coal Mining Practice in District VII (Mines in bed 6 in 
Bond, Clinton, Christian, Macoupin, Madison, 
Marion, Montgomery, Moultrie, Perry, Randolph, 
St. Clair, Sangamon, Shelby, and Washington coun¬ 
ties), by S. O. Andros, 1914. 

Coal Mining Practice in District I (Longwall), by S. O. 
Andros, 1914. 

Coal Mining Practice in District V (Mines in bed 5 in 
Saline and Gallatin counties), by S. O. Andros, 1914. 

Coal Mining Practice in District II (Mines in bed 2 in 
Jackson county), by S. O. Andros, 1914. 

Coal Mining Practice in District VI (Mines in bed 6 in 
Franklin, Jackson, Perry, and Williamson counties), 
by S. O. Andros, 1914. 

Coal Mining Practice in District III (Mines in beds 1 
and 2 in Brown, Calhoun, Cass, Fulton, Greene, 
Hancock, Henry, Jersey, Knox, McDonough, Mer¬ 
cer, Morgan, Rock Island, Schuyler, Scott, and War¬ 
ren counties), by S. O. Andros, 1915. 

Coal Resources of District I (Longwall) by Gilbert H. 
Cady, 1915. 

Coal Resources of District VII by Fred H. Kay, 1915. 

United States Bureau of Mines, The Humidity of Mine 
Air, by R. Y. Williams, 1914. (Copies of this bul¬ 
letin can be obtained by addressing the Director, 
Bureau of Mines, Washington, D. C.) 



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